Accused of trampling Lanka’s sovereignty, India blames China’s 'debt-driven agendas' for SL crisis

High Commission of India in Colombo slams China’s ambassador to Sri Lanka for violating 'diplomatic etiquette'

After Beijing’s envoy to Colombo accused New Delhi of trampling on the sovereignty and independence of Sri Lanka, India hit back on Saturday, not-so-subtly blaming China’s debt-trap diplomacy for the Indian Ocean nation’s economic crisis.

“Opaqueness and debt driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations. Recent developments are a caution,” the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka posted on Twitter, criticizing Beijing’s envoy to Colombo, Qi Zhenhong, of violating “basic diplomatic etiquette”.

Qi referred to India as Sri Lanka’s “northern neighbour” in an article published on an online portal of the island nation. He tacitly accused India of pursuing a policy of aggression against Sri Lanka.

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“We have noted the remarks of the Chinese Ambassador. His violation of basic diplomatic etiquette may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude,” New Delhi’s diplomatic mission in Colombo tweeted.

“His view of Sri Lanka's northern neighbour may be coloured by how his own country behaves. India, we assure him, is very different,” it added in another tweet. “Sri Lanka needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda”.

India has since early this year provided assistance worth about US $4 billion to help cash-strapped Sri Lanka and also sent consignments of food, fuel, medicines, fertilizers and other essentials. China provided $73 million in aid and rice shipments to help Sri Lanka after the country plunged into an economic crisis early this year. The Chinese Government, however, continued to dilly dally on Sri Lanka’s request for another aid package of at least $4 billion. The communist country also did not take a call on the Sri Lankan government’s request for amending the terms and conditions of the bilateral $1.5 billion currency swap deal so that the island nation could use it for imports.

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Beijing’s envoy to Colombo referred to the controversy over the visit of China’s research vessel Yuan Wang 5 to Hambantota Port of Sri Lanka and linked it to the tour of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, to Taiwan despite warnings and protest by China.

He noted Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement reaffirming his country’s One-China policy after the US House Speaker’s visit to Taiwan and the Sri Lankan government’s permission to the Yuan Wang 5 to dock at the Hambantota Port.

“Those two matters may seem irrelevant and thousands of miles apart, but both share a same great significance between China and Sri Lanka, that is to jointly safeguard each other’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,” Qi wrote in the article on Sri Lanka Guardian. He apparently accused India and the US of trying to undermine the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and China. “The two matters, both the process and results, have also fully shown a fine tradition in our bilateral relations, that is since the diplomatic ties were established 65 years ago, China and Sri Lanka have always been mutually understanding, respecting and supporting each other on issues of core interests and major concerns.”

Beijing reacted to the US House Speaker’s visit to Taipei by launching a military drill around Taiwan.

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The Yuan Wang 5 is used by the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to track satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Sri Lanka initially deferred the visit of the ship, but later allowed it to dock at its Hambantota Port, brushing aside security concerns of India.

“External obstruction based on so-called security concerns, but without any evidence from certain forces is de facto a thorough interference into Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence,” Beijing’s envoy to Colombo wrote in the article. “Fortunately, with China and Sri Lanka’s joint efforts, the incident was resolved properly, which not only safeguards Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence, but also defends international fairness and justice once again.”

“His (Qi’s) imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purported scientific research vessel is a giveaway,” tweeted the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka.