“In my recent internship, I was tasked to research how integrated is Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations and China’s relations with Sri Lanka.”
Weiguang, Political Science and Economics
Internship Country: Sri Lanka
Canadian NGO: Alternatives
Local NGO: National Fisheries Solidarity Organization (NAFSO)
The main reason for this focus is that since Sri Lanka does not occupy a very important international position, it does not have strategic relations with major powers (USA, Russia, etc.). So studying Sri Lanka's relations with Western countries would make the results generally cumbersome. Therefore, after talking with the leader of the study and some research, I decided on the topic of "What does the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" represent for China and Sri Lanka.
In my research, I will try to answer the following questions: firstly, what is the significance of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road; secondly, how has China's foreign policy in Sri Lanka changed after the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road was proposed; thirdly, what is the significance of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road? Fourthly, what is Sri Lanka's perception of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and how has its foreign policy consideration of China changed after the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. I will also look at the following questions: what are the risks and challenges facing Sino-Sri Lankan Relations? what risks and challenges faces Sino-Sri Lankan relations;
With the introduction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, China's foreign policy considerations towards Sri Lanka have changed as Sri Lanka is a crucial node country in the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. China's foreign policy consideration toward Sri Lanka has also undergone new changes. The strategic significance of Sri Lanka to China among South Asian countries is becoming more and more obvious, including the following aspects:
- Sri Lanka has a superior geographical location. Sri Lanka is located halfway between the oil-rich Middle East and Southeast Asia.Strengthening relations with Sri Lanka will give China direct access to the main international shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean, enhancing China's energy and trade security.
- Sri Lanka has an important position in the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative, and as a key node, the country's demonstrated significance is obvious. Sri Lanka is located in a key position in the Indian Ocean, only 10 nautical miles away from the main international shipping route.So its geographical location is very important. Sri Lanka, as a small country, influences India, a large country in South Asia, China, the United States, and Japan, a large country outside the region. One of the important aspects of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative is to use key ports as nodes to build a smooth, safe and efficient transport corridor jointly. The ports of Colombo and Hambantota in Sri Lanka are two important ports on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the construction of which will benefit not only China and Sri Lanka but also the economic development of the entire South Asian region.
If Sri Lanka's diplomatic relations with China do not change negatively for special reasons, then the benefits of the Maritime Silk Road will outweigh the disadvantages for Sri Lanka. However, because of Sri Lanka's special relationship with India, China's relationship with Sri Lanka is not destined to be smooth. India, the largest country in South Asia, is geographically close to Sri Lanka, and historically the two countries have had very close ties. Thanks to the FTA between India and Sri Lanka, the trade volume between India and Sri Lanka is four times higher than that between China and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's geopolitical positioning is culturally aligned with India, geographically equidistant from East Asia and East Africa, and at the interface between East and West in terms of sea lanes. If Sino-Indian relations develop smoothly, Sino-Sri Lankan Relations will not be disturbed; conversely, if Sino-Indian relations go wrong, Sino-Sri Lankan Relations are bound to be negatively affected. The development of China-Sri Lanka relations cannot bypass the Indian factor.
Sino-Sri Lankan relations represent the main points of my research and analysis. This study was my main tasks throughout my whole internship.