China Phobia or Genuine Fear ?

Warned us 55 years ago, “Do not Rifle with 700 Mn Chinese!” 

“When a relationship is founded on mutual respect and affection, importance and power, and the size, of one of the two countries in that relationship does not have an uneven influence on the other. China has never sought to pressure the internal politics of Sri Lanka. Over the years China has demonstrated to be caring and sincere with no ulterior motives for assisting Sri Lanka. She has never tried to undermine, dominate, or destabilize our nation.” -- Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister who unveiled the bust of the late Prime Minister Chou en Lai at the BMICH on April 9, 2005.

The Bill, if passed for the establishment of a Commission called the Colombo Port City Economic Commission which is to be entrusted with authority to regulate, administer, and operate its activities; will Sri Lanka be called Sino-Lanka as some opposition MPs speculate? Have we fallen deep into a trap and will end up as a Chinese colony?  China accused of introducing Covid has been doing a wonderful job in successfully controlling the terrible infection, while the rest of the world struggles.  

 At the opening of Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, [BMICH] a work of art and a spectacular testimony to the closeness between the people of Sri Lanka and China on May 18, 1973, Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike said, “When I rather cautiously expressed my wish to have an international conference hall, Chou en Lai, the Chinese Prime Minister said, “Yes, I would be very pleased to gift a hall in remembrance of my late friend. Only, I ask of you that you should name it after him”. It was PM, Bandaranaike who commenced diplomatic relations with the Communist nation in 1957. 

" It was PM Bandaranaike who commenced diplomatic relations with the Communist nation in 1957.  However, she could not finalise the matter with Chinese authorities when her government lost the 1965 general elections"

However, she could not finalise the matter with Chinese authorities when her government lost the 1965 general elections. The UNP led coalition campaigned under the main theme on an impending threat caused by a “Chinese invasion”. The accusations were based on Chinese men that visited the island working on  their preliminary work in the planning of construction of BMICH, toured many parts of the island on sight-seeing during their leisure hours. As there were no Chinese tourists then, apart from the few traditional Dental technicians who lived here for generations, this unusual sight caused anxiety, further instigated by the opposition.

A consensus was ‘fabricated’ among the people that the Chinese were on a clandestine move in preparation for take-over of the nation with the help of Sirimavo. Dudley Senanayake’s UNP was back in power, which suspended the work-in-progress on BMICH by China causing a dilution of relations between the two nations.

A Chinese note speaking of …Ceylon’s “grave violation of international practice”, was in circulation when a consignment of red-guard badges with Mao’s image was held by customs. The Foreign Affairs Ministry initiated an investigation.  As our main supplier of rice, the Chinese held the whip-hand— the government said it was not prepared to surrender the ‘national pride’ to a pot of rice. The decision was based on a bogus intelligence report of a massive built up of Chinese spy-ring was in operation. It was a deliberate faux pas by intelligence men close to anti-China politicians. The Defence Ministry ordered an investigation of all stateless Chinese residing here including dental technicians. Meanwhile, it was reported that opposite Peking’s Sri Lankan embassy, red guards demonstrated shouting anti-Lankan slogans.  [Though she had a close relationship with China, Sirimavo Bandaranaike did maintain neutrality in 1962, during the Indo-China war.]

"A consensus was ‘fabricated’ among the people that the Chinese were on a clandestine move in preparation for take-over of the nation with the help of Sirimavo. Dudley Senanayake’s UNP was back in power, which suspended the work-in-progress on BMICH by China causing a dilution of relations between the two nations"

The government ordered visa restrictions for Chinese arriving here.  The Chinese Embassy in Colombo issued a strong letter to the government accusing them of committing acts of robbery and sabotage of diplomatic articles and export goods of the embassy on board the ship Aionnis. It added that “The Ministry had flagrantly held up the badges with the profile of Chairman Mao for more than a month. Some literary books containing selected works of Mao were held back too. The note spoke of “grave violation of international practices” and even threatened Sri Lanka, “Do not rifle with 700 million Chinese”. The government decided to play it cool but the Cabinet discussed the threats; one factor that disturbed ministers was the trade agreements that were in operation with China. Our Ambassador to Peking Robert Gunawardene was present at these meetings. It was decided to issue a statement on August 17, clarifying the position.

The current relationship has resulted in India and West raising concerns. They accuse China of having ulterior motives in its relationship with Sri Lanka. There’s a huge trade imbalance between the two countries with SL exports accounted only US$ 250 million while China exported US$ 4 billion worth of goods to us. China is the most lucrative market for consumer goods. We need to improve our economic relationship, and enhance our exports.  China is one of the foremost investment capitals; encouragement of FDIs from Chinese companies is a must. 
The late Kadirgamar said, “Sri Lanka had in a modest way backed China in international fora, especially on issues of human rights where Sri Lanka believed that China was being unfairly treated by international agencies. We have been her committed ally in the past. It is good for a relationship when both countries are able to give something towards sustaining and enhancing it. Sri Lanka has remained unfaltering and unambiguous in respect of its One China Policy.”

"When President Mahinda Rajapaksa turned to China for loans and assistance with an ambitious project, they obliged without reservations, though Sri Lanka’s debt was ballooning rapidly under him"

When President Mahinda Rajapaksa turned to China for loans and assistance with an ambitious project, they obliged without reservations, though Sri Lanka’s debt was ballooning rapidly under him. China Harbor Engineering Company, one of Beijing’s largest state-owned enterprises, constructed the Hambantota Port Development Project expecting at least a few hundreds of the tens of thousands of ships that passed along the busiest shipping lane to call at Hambantota; only a negligible few did so in its first year. The new Yahapalana coalition of Ranil-Maithri struggled to make payments on the debt was under heavy pressure that compelled it to negotiate with the Chinese, and hand over not only the port, but 15,000 acres of land for 99 years, giving China control of a military and commercial waterway, a strategic foothold in a territory close to its rival, India. 

Iceland became the first European country to enhance its economic relations with China by entering into a FTA in 2007, when China sought to increase its Arctic presence. The two nations steadily improved their scientific collaboration in the Arctic. In 2018, China invited Iceland to join the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, for US Vice-President to compliment the Island ‘for rejection’ without even Iceland having done so. During Iceland’s economic crisis, China filled the deliberate void the European Union left behind. 

The reclaimed Port City, not a Rupee invested by us, no loans to repay, sounds highly beneficial to us. Will China use our land and ports for military purposes? These are concerns driven by geo-political anxieties. In response, naval presence at the Hambantota port has been strengthened. Such security related concerns require continued attention. Public trust in the projects through improved transparency needs to be ensured as a precaution in eliminating fear psychosis. China should never forget our valuable help for the reinstallation of its legitimate position in the United Nations.
Also, can we forget the warning, “Do not rifle with 700 million Chinese”, the number has almost doubled since five decades ago!

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