{"id":115992,"date":"2021-07-11T16:52:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T23:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115992"},"modified":"2021-07-11T16:52:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-11T23:52:36","slug":"goblin-mangalas-self-humiliation-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/11\/goblin-mangalas-self-humiliation-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Goblin Mangala\u2019s self humiliation \u2013 Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"

By : A.A.M.NIZAM \u2013 MATARA<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Reuters reported that Samaraweera pledged\nthat the new Government would welcome Chinese investors. President Maithripala\nSirisena has unnerved China with his re-examination of certain projects that\nChina has invested in, including a $1.5 billion \u2018Port City project in Colombo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters said that India, which lost out to\nChina in infrastructure development on the Indian Ocean island, was in\nparticular worried about the security threat posed by Chinese ownership of\nland, aggravated by the docking of Chinese submarines in Colombo last year.\nLast week, Sri Lanka said it would reconsider the outright transfer of a parcel\nof land to China under the port city deal signed by the previous Government,\namid concern it could be used for by the Chinese navy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in Beijing after meeting his\nChinese counterpart, Mangala Samaraweera said he did not discuss the port issue\ndirectly, and the Government was not only looking into Chinese projects.\nAnything relating to Chinese investment will be shared and discussed with the\nGovernment of China before we take any final decision,\u201d Samaraweera told a news\nconference, citing what he told his Chinese counterpart. Sri Lanka will always\nwelcome Chinese investment and it would now be an even safer place in which to\ninvest, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are trying to ensure that there is a\nlevel playing field for all investors and a conducive environment for\ninvestment based on the restoration of the rule of law, democracy, good\ngovernance and transparency,\u201d Samaraweera said. All proposals in future will\nbe considered totally on merit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samaraweera is in China to prepare for an\nexpected visit by Sirisena next month. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said\nChina remained a good partner of Sri Lanka. China is willing to continue being\na trustworthy and reliable development partner… and will also keep doing its\nbest to provide assistance for Sri Lanka\u2019s social and economic development,\u201d\nWang said. India had grown increasingly wary of former President Mahinda\nRajapaksa\u2019s pursuit of closer ties with China, which became a key supporter of\nthe island\u2019s economy after its 26-year-civil war ended in 2009. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters ststed thast China has built a\nseaport and airport in the south of the country, raising fears it is seeking\ninfluence in a country with which India has traditionally had deep ties.\nIndia\u2019s concern grew after the Rajapaksa Government allowed the Chinese\nsubmarines to dock in thje Colombo port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China moots trilateral cooperation\nwith India and Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has proposed trilateral cooperation\ninvolving India and Sri Lanka for regional stability as the new government in\nColombo sought to re-balance its ties with China, preferring to follow a\n“non-aligned” policy. “China is open-minded about trilateral\ncooperation between China, India (and) Sri Lanka,” Chinese Foreign Minister\nWang Yi said during a joint press conference with Sri Lankan counterpart\nMangala Samaraweera. “I want to say both India and Sri Lanka are China’s\ncooperative partners in South Asia,” Wang said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samaraweera is the first Sri Lankan\nofficial to visit Beijing since president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat in polls\nthis January bhy a western, Indian terrorist diaspora steered conspiravy. China\nmade significant investments in Sri Lanka during Rajapaksa’s tenure, raising\nconcerns in India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two ministers had a lengthy talk focussed\non the new political alignment in Sri Lanka following the fall of the Rajapaksa\ngovernment. Samwarweera, however, did not comment on the trilateral proposal by\nChina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wang said China wants progress in\nrelations between all three countries, including ties between New Delhi and\nColombo. “The relevant parties may continue to explore discussions about\nsuch cooperation in future to think about what are practical ways and means in\npursing such cooperation,” Wang said. “We believe that China and\nIndia may leverage their respective strength in playing a positive role in\nhelping Sri Lanka advance its social development,” he said. “I\nbelieve sounder interaction and pursuit of common interests among the three\ncountries is in the best interest of the three countries and also in best\ninterest of regional peace, stability and prosperity,” Wang replied to a\nquestion. He also said China and India stay in contact over a large number of\nregional and global issues. “We would certainly like to have consultations\nwith the Indian side regarding pursing trilateral cooperation in future or\ncooperation involving more parties,” Wang said. Describing India as a\nneighbour and a relative, and China a close friend, Samaraweera said his\ngovernment prefers to follow a “non-aligned policy with good relations\nwith all the countries in the interest of the Sri Lankan people.” Wang,\nfor his part, spoke about the support extended by the Rajapaksa government for\nthe revival of the multi billion dollar ancient Maritime Silk Road (MSR)\nproposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mangala organises a visit to China\nby Sirisena<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jubilant over ousting the former\nPresident Mr. Mahinds Rajapaksa through Ranil Chandrika guidance from 2013,\nstarting with TNA\/Diaspora\/UNP Singapore meetingh in 2013 and ending with a\nmassive western\/hegemonic Indianc and diasdpora conspiracy floated with\nhitherto never seen in thew world feake news and smear campaign Mangala\nSamaraweera visited China early February, a few days after getting installed\nbackstabber Sirisena as the President of Sri Lanka, made a two dahy visit to\nChina mainly to pave the way for Sirisena to undertake a visit to China.  Followimg boot lickings and groundwork done\nbuy this Goblin, Sirisena made an official visit to Chima from 25th<\/sup>\nMarch to 29th<\/sup> March, 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durimng this visit, Sirisena held\nbilateral talks witn Chinese President Xi Jinping\nand also attended the Bo Ao Forum in Hainan on 28-29 March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the bilateral talks,\nPresident Xi Jinping emphasized that Sri Lanka is a close neighbor and China\nhas always regarded Sri Lanka as important in its neighbourhood policy. He said\nChina\u2019s cooperation with Sri Lanka is based on mutual benefit and China does\nnot attach any political conditions. China and Sri Lanka understand and support\neach other on matters of territory and sovereignty. Xi Jinping pointed out that\nChina wants to deepen economic cooperation and infrastructure investment in Sri\nLanka through Chinese enterprises; that China wants to expand military\ncooperation through exercises; and, coordinate in international as well as\nregional affairs. China hoped that Sri Lanka will increase its collaboration\nwith China in SAARC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sirisena affirmed that his government will carry forward the friendly relations and will adopt more effective measures to promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries. He said that the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) had established relations between two countries in ancient times and that the 21st century MSR will further strengthen ties between China and Sri Lanka. On the recently suspended Colombo Port project, he said the project has been suspended temporarily and there was no fault with the Chinese side. He expressed his gratitude towards China for their help in building Hambantota port and welcomed more investment from Chinese enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two sides signed the\nfollowing MoUs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n