- China will not be given a military base
- India and America are concerned about China’s presence in the Indian Ocean
- Security of Hambantota ship in hands of Sri Lankan government
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that his country will not be allowed to be used as a base (military base) for any threat or threat against India. Along with this, he has emphasized that the island nation should remain ‘neutral’ while not entering into any military agreement with China. Wickremesinghe is on an official visit to Britain and France and he said this in an interview with the French official media on Monday.
Wickramasinghe said, ‘We are a neutral country but insist that we cannot allow Sri Lanka to be used as a base for any threat against India.’
China has no military base in Sri Lanka
Responding to a question about China’s military presence in Sri Lanka, the President said that China has been in the country for nearly 1,500 years but still has no military base there. He also said that there will be no military agreement.
‘Security of Hambantota ship in hands of Sri Lankan government’
The President said there was no issue of military use of the southern port of Hambantota by China. It was taken on a 99-year lease by China in 2017 in exchange for a loan. He assured that although the Hambantota ship was handed over to sugar traders, its security was in the hands of the Sri Lankan government. Wickramasinghe said that the Southern Naval Command has been shifted to Hambantota and we have deployed a brigade in the vicinity of Hambantota.
India and America are concerned about China’s presence in the Indian Ocean
Last year, Sri Lanka allowed China’s ballistic missile and satellite reconnaissance ship Yuva Wang Panch to dock at the Hambantota port. Which raised concerns in India and the US over China’s growing presence in the strategic Indian Ocean region.
India feared that the ship’s surveillance system might attempt to spy on Indian installations during Sri Lankan port visits. Relations between India and Sri Lanka were strained when Sri Lanka allowed a Chinese nuclear-capable submarine to dock at one of its ports in 2014.
