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Sri Lanka should maintain strong relations with China, U.S. to win "trading hub" position, says official

Xinhua, November 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

It is important for Sri Lanka to strengthen and maintain a strong relationship with powerful nations such as China and the United States in order to win the geostrategic trading hub position in the Southern Indian Ocean, a high ranking Sri Lankan official said here on Tuesday.

Lecturer in International Political Economy for University of London in Sri Lanka and politician, Asanga Abeyagoonasekera said that under the new administration of Donald Trump, the United States and China relationship could move towards a more positive trajectory.

"The Trump administrations relationship with China, Russia and India could open new uncharted, unpredictable avenues and will definitely be deferent to the previous regime. It could also deliver better results to island nations like Sri Lanka to develop its economy after a 30-year war," Abeyagoonasekera said.

He further said that Sri Lanka will also have a significant role to play and the island country's economic relationship with China was expected to be strengthened further with the Chinese economic zone proposed to be set up in Southern Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka's support for the Belt and Road initiative.

Sri Lanka's relationship with China has seen a recent boom with the government stating that it aimed to attract more Chinese investments in order to strengthen its economy.

China is currently Sri Lanka's largest foreign direct investor with investments worth 409 million U.S. dollars. Endit