Sri Lanka has realised it is not good to blindly favour China: Expert

After the Sri Lanka government scrapped a port deal with India reneging from an earlier agreement signed in 2019, former ambassador JK Tripathi said that it is too premature to think that the move would affect New Delhi's relationship with Colombo, and added that Sri Lanka has realised the hard way that it is not good to blindly favour China. ETV Bharat's senior correspondent Chandrakala Choudhury reports.

New Delhi:The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that India's High Commissioner in Colombo is in discussion with the Government of Sri Lanka over several issues including the "importance of adhering to the international commitments."

The comment by the ministry comes after the Mahinda Rajapaksa-led government on Monday scrapped a port deal with India reneging from an earlier agreement signed in 2019.

After the Sri Lankan government decided to cancel the port deal with India and announced to operate the East Container Terminal as a wholly-owned container terminal of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the country's cabinet has now approved a proposal to develop the west terminal of the Colombo port as a Public Private Partnership with Japan and India.

Addressing a virtual weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "The governments of India, Sri Lanka, and Japan had signed a memorandum of cooperation in May 2019 to develop and operate the East Container Terminal of Colombo port under a trilateral framework. We sincerely believe that the development of infrastructure in Sri Lanka in areas such as ports and energy from India and Japan will be mutually beneficial proposition."

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"Our High Commissioner in Colombo is in discussion with the Government of Sri Lanka on several issues including on importance of adhering to International commitments," the spokesperson stated.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, India's former ambassador, JK Tripathi said, "For quite some time now, the Sri Lankan government is thinking that big powers are trying to get their pound of flesh in Sri Lanka and that it won't allow big powers and try to do it in their way, especially in context with the development of Colombo port."

"I think now, the Sri Lankan government has finally decided that the projects should not be given to any foreign powers," he reiterated.

Tripathi pointed out that the Sri Lankan government's decision to cancel East Container Terminal (ECT) port deal with India will not affect the India-Sri Lanka relationships, because but Sri Lanka has also cancelled projects involving China and Japan.

"So basically they are trying to strike a balance because the Sri Lankan government thinks that economically, they have to go with China but politically with India. In a way, the Sri Lankan government is trying not to antagonize either of the big powers. So probably, the Mahinda Rajapaksa led- the government is trying to balance it out," he added.

On being asked if India would approve the proposal of the Sri Lankan government to develop the west terminal of the Colombo port, Tripathi said that as long as India is involved, why should New Delhi not approve it?

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"It is too premature to think that it will affect India-Sri Lanka relationships that much," he underlined.

"Sri Lankans have learnt it the hard way because they have almost given the Hambantota port to China and for 40 years, 90 per cent of the revenue received by this port would go to China. Hence, Sri Lankans have realised that it is not good to blindly favour China or accept Chinese conditions," he further explained.

According to reports, Rajapaksa on January 31, had said that the Eastern Container Terminal of the Colombo Port will not be sold or leased out to any foreign country.