Recognising friend from foe and avoiding ‘Catch-22 situations’

Lanka finds itself once again in a Catch-22 situation. India and China have from our post-independence period proved to be our country’s most steadfast friends.
Lankan’s can never forget the 18 December 1952 ‘Rubber-Rice Pact’ with China.
At that time, both Ceylon and China were in their infancy as nations. 
Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, faced a shortage of rice. The world market price of rice rose by 38% between 1951 and 1952. At the time the US introduced synthetic rubber into the market, which led to a fall in the world market price of rubber. Leading to a drastic drop in our country’s foreign exchange earnings.
During those days we did not produce sufficient rice to meet the country’s needs. We were dependent on imported rice to feed the population. There was also a drop in production of paddy from our traditional producers. 

The end of the Korean War led to a collapse of Ceylon’s export prices by 23% between 1951 and 1952. The country’s top exports all declined in monetary value.
Then Ceylon attempted to negotiate with the United States for a loan of US$50 million and for favorable prices for rubber exports and rice imports. The move failed. 
There was a fear that the shortage of rice could lead to starvation in the country. It was at this stage the People’s Republic of China entered into a barter agreement with the government of then Ceylon to exchange Ceylon rubber for rice from China. China also valued the cost of rubber at well over its market price. 
The US despite having refused to help, was angered with our then government for entering into an agreement with China. The United States retaliated against Ceylon for trading with China by invoking the Battle Act, thus cutting off aid to Ceylon.
In a similar manner, when corruption and frivolous expenditure led the country into bankruptcy in 2022; it was India who extended us a $4 billion credit line which helped us out of the mess. India also called on international financial agencies to help the country regain its credit worthiness.
This is the reality of our situation today. It was not the US nor our supposed friends in the Western capitals who came to our aid. It was the Chinese and the Indians who stood by us.

Unfortunately both powers which helped us Lankans in our hour of need, are not on the best of terms with each other. They have even gone to war with each other and our so-called friends in the west have been at pains to keep alive suspicions of Lankans against the two countries which have over a time proved our friends in our hour of need. 
During the ethnic war the Western media spared no pains to ‘expose’ Indian perfidy regarding Indian actions which they claimed supported insurgency in this country. Yet, it was Indian intelligence which helped our naval ships to destroy the floating armoury of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This single action led to the fall of that organisation.
In a similar fashion, during the self-same ethnic in our country the West was demanding a negotiated settlement with the LTTE. Yet the LTTE was not an elected body which governed the north and east. It controlled the population via fear and terrorist tactics.
The West was aware of this, but continued pressing ‘their solution’. In the aftermath of the defeat of the LTTE by the Rajapaksa regime the West orchestrated a campaign accusing China of leading Lanka into what the West described as a ‘debt trap’.
Yet, Chinese loans accounted for a mere 10.6 percent or US$ 5.5 billion.
Our new President and government need to recognise our friends and foes, it needs to avoid jeopardising our relationships with these two countries -they who helped us when we needed it most.