A drive around the island nation's capital Colombo can give you the feeling of overarching presence of China.
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is in India to hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. With this visit, India hopes to renew strategic ties with the island nation where a new government was installed earlier this month. (
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One of the most important concerns for India has been the increased Chinese involvement in Sri Lanka over the last 10 years. They have invested heavily in infrastructure and supplied huge amount of arsenal to Sri Lanka's military; a Chinese submarine had even docked in Colombo recently. India is hoping that will change now.
A drive around the island nation's capital Colombo can give you the feeling of overarching presence of China.
Facing the city's landmark Galle Face Green, along the coast, a new offshore port city is being built by a Chinese company that will change the skyline of Colombo. The company is investing $1.5 billion, the largest single foreign direct investment in Sri Lanka.
China has invested six billion dollars including in the Colombo port city project, to reclaim 233 hectares of sea and convert it into land. What's interesting is that a huge proportion of that is in the form of loan and not a grant.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickeramasinghe has said this pet project of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with several other Chinese projects, like the Hambantota port project, will be reviewed for environmental concerns and also other alleged irregularities. (
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"China had been quite lavish with regard to various aids that they have been giving. But certainly we are not going to be seen hereafter as a vassal of China, which was the perception during Mahinda Rajapaksa's time. Relationship with West and India will improve," said C V Wigneswaran, Tamil National Alliance leader and chief minister of the northern province.
China built its relationship at a time when the West and India kept their distance, citing reservations about Mr Rajapaksa's human rights record.
Indian investors in Sri Lanka are upbeat. "We should not fear China coming to Sri Lanka. There are lessons in this for India. India is now in a position to offer what China offers," said Umesh Gautam, CEO, Lanka Ashok Leyland.
The other strategic concern for India is a China-Sri Lanka navigational partnership for a maritime trade route, known as the Silk Road that virtually encircles south India. Security experts point out that this 'pearl necklace' will lead to a lot of snooping in Indian waters, which cannot be allowed.