Sri Lanka says no Chinese military base at port
Sri Lanka rejected on Wednesday US claims that China might establish a forward military base at a strategic port leased to Beijing by the indebted Indian Ocean island nation.
Sri Lanka last year granted a 99-year lease on the Hambantota deep-sea port to Beijing, after it was unable to repay Chinese loans for the $1.4-billion project.
The port, situated along key shipping routes, is one of a string of infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa and Europe being funded under China's Belt and Road Initiative that has rattled the US and its allies, including neighbouring India.
Last week US Vice-President Mike Pence said Hambantota ‘may soon become a forward military base for China's growing blue-water navy,’ according to US media.
But Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office said that there would be no foreign military presence at Hambantota, and that the US State Department had been briefed.
‘Our navy's Southern Command is being relocated in Hambantota to control port security,’ Wickremesinghe's office quoted him as saying in Britain on Monday.
Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka was also concluding a commercial agreement that would see India take over the management of Hambantota airport -- another white-elephant project built with Chinese loans under former president Mahinda Rajapakse.
Regional superpower India has been concerned about growing Chinese interest in Sri Lanka, which has traditionally fallen within New Delhi's sphere of influence.
In August, the US announced it would grant Sri Lanka $39 million to boost maritime security.
At the same time, China has pledged to increase its funding of Sri Lanka's economy, including through loans, despite the country's major debt pile.
The International Monetary Fund, which bailed out Sri Lanka in June 2016 with a $1.5 billion staggered loan, has warned Colombo over its heavy liabilities.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
![US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027]()
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
![Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”]()
Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”
Although the CDC project is still in its early stages, the Canadian Department of National Defence already has some requirements for the future platforms.
-
![US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection]()
US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection
The Naval Supply Systems Command is seeking authorised resellers of JaiaBot uncrewed underwater vehicles and multivehicle pods. The platforms will support undergraduate education at the US Naval Academy.
-
![NATO tests use of “undetectable, jam-proof” laser communication in maritime scenarios]()
NATO tests use of “undetectable, jam-proof” laser communication in maritime scenarios
As part of its effort to better prepare its capabilities for operations in contested and congested scenarios, NATO evaluated a Lithuanian ship-to-ship terminal designed to not be susceptible to enemy interference.
