Marxist leader Anura Kumar Dissanayake, 56, has won Sri Lanka’s presidential election. He was sworn in on Monday. China is pleased that the center-left leader won the presidential election in Sri Lanka. Chinese experts are already ecstatic and say Sri Lanka will be less dependent on India with Dissanayake coming to power. He said that with the coming to power of the leftist Dissanayake, the relationship between China and Sri Lanka will be further strengthened and the “One Belt, One Road” initiative will be further developed.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an ambitious project proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and many projects are underway in Sri Lanka. China has also been accused of making huge investments in developing countries through the project, putting them into debt traps.
During Sri Lanka’s economic and political crisis in 2022, there were also domestic voices opposing China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. But now that Sri Lanka has undergone a change of government, with Anura Kumar Dissanayake of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh elected as the country’s new president on Sunday, China hopes relations between the two countries will strengthen and Belt and Road projects will be strengthened . Work will be completed faster.
Regarding Dissanayak’s victory, China’s official newspaper Global Times published an article in which many Chinese experts said that China-Sri Lanka relations will become stronger after Dissanayak takes office.
The Global Times quoted Qian Feng, director of the Research Department of the National Institute of Strategic Studies at Tsinghua University, as saying, “After the new Sri Lankan government takes office, the relationship between the two countries is expected to further improve.” This is because the ideology of the Dissanayake Party is consistent with China. Pay attention to relations with China.
The “Global Times” report mentioned India and said that Sri Lanka’s new president will reduce its dependence on India and strengthen ties with China.
The article quoted experts as saying, “Sri Lanka’s new government will maintain a balanced attitude towards India and China, but the new president is likely to reduce its reliance on India and adopt a more pragmatic and friendly attitude towards China.” and development strategy.
“Global Times” wrote at the end of the article that Sri Lanka’s new government will give priority to economic development and improving people’s livelihood while improving the country’s economic situation. This shows that China-Sri Lanka relations have great potential, and China regards Sri Lanka as an important country in the “One Belt and One Road” initiative. Sri Lanka has invested in many infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka, including ports, to benefit the people of Sri Lanka.
What does the Dissanayake Party spokesperson say about relations with India and China?
Sri Lanka’s new government faces a huge challenge in maintaining a balance with India and China. As for the new government, it is said that it may lean towards China, but the party has pledged not to get involved in any geopolitical competition.
Bimal Ratnayake, spokesman for Dissanayake’s National Progressive Party, said in an interview with AFP, “Sri Lanka’s land will not be used against any country. We fully understand the geopolitics of the region. situation, but we will not be involved in it.
