My Take | India jumps in as China plays Scrooge with Sri Lanka
- In a diplomatic masterstroke, New Delhi’s more humane treatment of Colombo has both outsmarted and humiliated Beijing
When it comes to helping Sri Lanka and keeping diplomatic scores, lately it’s been: India 2, China 0.
Even when it isn’t exactly Beijing’s own goal, it’s close to being one. The story so far, so humiliating: this week, Colombo refused a Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 to dock at the Hambantota port for refuelling; of all places! The decision was made under pressure from India.
If there is a silver lining for China, it’s that the Sri Lankan refusal rather punctures the Western narrative about China’s debt-trap diplomacy, of which Hambantota is inevitably cited as a prime example. The port was built with Chinese money and engineering.
As Colombo had trouble making repayments, a Chinese shipping company has secured a lease on much of the port for 99 years, but crucially not ownership, as it’s often reported.
Well, so much for the debt trap when the Chinese can’t even dock a boat at the port. Washington at one point claimed Hambantota could become a People’s Liberation Army naval base!
How did Colombo dare refuse the Chinese now? Simply put, money talks. As Sri Lanka sinks deeper into political and financial crises, India has emerged as a top lender and rescuer, by committing to provide about US$5 billion worth of aid, of which US$3.8 billion is for this year. Included are food, fuel and medicine, as well as cold hard cash.