The island of Indian Ocean has become an important center of regional competition in Sri Lanka.
Because of this, in December last year, Sri Lanka has leased its strategically important port to a Chinese company for 99 years for its southern Hambantota city. This decision will help the country's debt of 20 million people to help with the waiver. As a result, China has strengthened its position in the heart of Indian Ocean.
The government of Sri Lanka has officially sold 80 percent of the port of Hambantota port on December 9, to a state-owned company. Sri Lanka, which had taken loans from China to build the port, had to sell port shares to Beijing's company due to not able to pay 1.5 billion dollars in time. As a result, it has been alleged that the deal was favorable to Beijing and many have expressed concern about Sri Lanka's sovereignty.
This port will play a big role for China's Belt and Road Initiative project, which is planned to connect between China and Europe on the port and road through the project. It has been widely publicized in Chinese media and called for foreign investment.
One of China's main competitors, India has expressed doubts about the deal. As a result, Sri Lanka repeatedly asserted that the Chinese military will not use this port.
Rear Admiral Dharmendra Vetaywa, a naval expert working in the US embassy at the C-Airspace Expo organized outside Washington DC on Monday, reiterated his government's assurance that there would be no foreign military operation in the Hambantota port.
He said, 'We have to go ahead with the talks. The Sri Lankan government has to be as transparent as possible.
Sri Lanka has brought billions of billions of loan for various mega infrastructure projects since President Mahinda Rajapaksa (who lost by 2015). But protests and conflict with police protested against Chinese investments. Beijing has made extra claims and their financing is not favorable to Sri Lanka, such allegations are critically acclaimed.
About International Naval Cooperation, Wettaywa said that Sri Lanka has no security or military relations with China outside of the United States, Australia and the Italian Navy.
He said, there is no special military relationship with any country in Sri Lanka. But there are strong partnerships with India, Pakistan, Japan, Australia and the United States.
However, Weitwaya acknowledged that there are many impacts of Chinese influence on Sri Lanka.
In late February, Sri Lankan Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Ravindra Bijungunaratne assured India that the port of Hambantota would not be given to any foreign navy. He has given this assurance in an Indo-Pacific regional dialogue program. India's defense minister Nirmala Sitaraman was also present.