China to forge trilateral cooperation with India, Sri Lanka

BEIJING: China today said it will make joint efforts with India and Sri Lanka to promote a trilateral relationship to address New Delhi's security concerns in Indian Ocean region, as Beijing grapples to salvage its big ticket investments in Sri Lanka.

"The good interactions and mutual reinforcement among the three pairs of relationship deliver benefits to the three countries and contribute to peace, stability and common prosperity of the region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here.

Asked whether President Xi Jinping has proposed trilateral cooperation between India, China and Sri Lanka during last month's meeting with Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena, she said, "We are poised to make joint efforts with Sri Lanka and India to promote the sound interactions with each other".

Sri Lankan Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayeke who attended the meeting, said, "Xi said why don't we get India to work with us, which was seized upon by President Sirisena, who said that would be the best possible outcome.

"Both Presidents agreed that India should be part of the equation," Karunanayake told the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post after the talks.

Hua said, "Both Sri Lanka and India are significant and friendly neighbours of China in South Asia. We hope for the sound development of China-Sri Lanka and China-India relations, and are happy to see the growing relationship between Sri Lanka and India."

China mooted the trilateral idea in February when the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mangala Samarweera visited Beijing amid efforts by the new Sri Lankan government to rebalance its foreign policy by reversing the pro-China tilt affected by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.

Subsequently, the new Sirisena government hardened stance toward USD five billion Chinese investments, specially the USD 1.5 billion Colombo Port City project which remained suspended even after the new Sri Lankan President's visit to China.

While India has specific concerns to strategic projects like the Colombo Port City in the backdrop of Chinese submarines docking at the port, Sri Lankan government alleges irregularities and high interest rates for the loans.

The Colombo port project is regarded as pivotal to the implementation of Xi's newly launched 21st Maritime Silk Road project in Indian Ocean over which India has strong reservations.