{"id":89043,"date":"2019-05-19T03:59:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-19T10:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=89043"},"modified":"2019-05-19T03:59:33","modified_gmt":"2019-05-19T10:59:33","slug":"america-should-not-ask-the-countries-to-choose-between-china-and-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/05\/19\/america-should-not-ask-the-countries-to-choose-between-china-and-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2019\u2019America should not ask the countries to choose between China and the U.S.\u2019\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kelum Bandara Courtesy Daily Mirror<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Former Ambassador of the United Sates (US) to Sri Lanka Robert O. Blake, in an interview with Daily Mirror<\/strong>,\n shares his views on the Indo-Pacific strategy, the importance of Sri \nLanka\u2019s strategic positioning in the region and its benefits to the \ncountry as a whole. He served as the Ambassador to Sri Lanka between \n2006 and 2009 when the country witnessed the height of the war. From \n2009 to 2013, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and \nCentral Asia. He currently works as Senior Director (India and South \nAsia) of McLarty Associates based in Washington D.C. He was here \nrecently at the invitation of Pathfinder Foundation and Joint Apparel \nAssociation Forum of Sri Lanka and delivered a lecture titled \u2018Update \nfrom Washington: US Foreign Policy towards China and South Asia and what\n it means for Sri Lanka\u2019. The excerpts of the interview:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
  • You had a similar group during\n the war led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa of an inter-agency group of all \nintelligence, law enforcement and military personnel<\/strong><\/li>
  • America should not ask the countries to choose between China and the U.S.<\/strong><\/li>
  • The government needs to depoliticize investigations as much as possible\u00b7<\/strong><\/li>
  • Indonesia set up a special counter-terrorism unit called Densus 88 that has been very successful<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> How do you sum up your programme here in Sri Lanka?<\/strong>
    \nI am here to do a little bit of business. Once that was scheduled, I \nreceived an invitation to speak from Milinda Moragoda of the Pathfinder \nFoundation. It is an important time for Sri Lanka.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> These days, foreigners stay away from Sri Lanka. But, you are an exception.<\/strong>
    \nAs I said, I had a business commitment for a client. As you know, I was \nthe Ambassador for Sri Lanka during the civil war- from 2006 to 2009. So\n I am accustomed to a bit of risk. I also think that, from all I have \nbeen told, the security forces have done a good job of rounding up a lot\n of the suspects.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sri Lanka is very well \npositioned. The United States, China, India, Japan, Australia and others\n are all interested in Sri Lanka because it has an important strategic \nlocation on the major sea lanes; it has an open market economy, and a \ndemocracy.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> Now\n coming to the topic, I would like to ask about the Indo-Pacific \nstrategy of the United States. Sri Lanka is well positioned in the \nregion. How do you view Sri Lanka\u2019s importance?<\/strong>
    \nAs I said in my speech, Sri Lanka is very well positioned. The United \nStates, China, India, Japan, Australia and others are all interested in \nSri Lanka because it has an important strategic location on the major \nsea lanes; it has an open market economy, and a democracy. It is \nimportant for Sri Lanka to take a few steps now after these bombings. \nFirst, of course, they have to pursue investigations with vigour. They \nneed to do it in an even handed way so they treat everybody with respect\n and dignity. Secondly, they need to work with the religious \nauthorities, to promote reconciliation both within the Muslim community \nand also between the Muslims and Christians.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The government needs to de-politicize \ninvestigations as much as possible. I heard from a lot of Sri Lankan \nfriends during the last few days that they are very worried about the \nlack of cooperation between the Prime Minister and the President. And as\n you saw in my speech, we had similar problems in the United States \nbefore 9\/11. Our intelligence agencies and our law enforcement \nauthorities were not coordinating with each other. We set up a special \ngroup led by the White House. It included the senior officials of all \nthe intelligence agencies and all the law enforcement agencies. Their \ntask was to evaluate every piece of intelligence, and for those that \nwere credible, they assigned somebody very specific to follow up on each\n threat. As a result of that, we have not had a major foreign terrorist \nattack on US soil since 9\/11. I think Sri Lanka would benefit from \nforming a similar group to deal with this new threat by the ISIS and \nsome Muslim groups.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You\n had a similar group during the war. I remember Gotabaya Rajapaksa led \nan interagency group of all intelligence, law enforcement and military \npersonnel. Every single week, they gathered all the intelligence \ntogether and looked at the threats. But to be clear, I am referring only\n to the institutional arrangements at that time. It is very important to\n fully respect human rights and not repeat the excesses of the past, \nsuch as the white van disappearances. I expressed the US Government\u2019s \nstrong concern about those and other human rights abuses while I was the\n Ambassador.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>\n Order in this region is important even for the countries like the \nUnited States. What kind of assistance can the US give us in combating \nthis terrorism for overall peace in the region?<\/strong>
    \nI think we are already extending assistance. As you know, our Federal \nBureau of Investigations has sent people here to help with the \ninvestigations. We can work together with your intelligence agencies to \nshare information about possible threats and to integrate Sri Lanka \nbetter into global information sharing networks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>\n When you were the Ambassador in Sri Lanka, you witnessed LTTE \nterrorism. Now you see a new kind of terrorism here. How do you compare \nand contrast the two?<\/strong>
    \nI think they have different objectives. The LTTE wanted to use terrorism\n as a way of promoting a separate state and also to stop the army from \nmoving to the north. As the army moved to the north, the LTTE increased \nattacks in Colombo. It had a political objective. In the case of ISIS, \nthey have two objectives. First, after they lost their so-called \nCaliphate in Iraq and Syria, they need to prove that they are still a \nrelevant, strong organization. So, they are looking around for \nopportunities all over the world \u2013 in Afghanistan, Philippines, Sri \nLanka etc- to prove that they still have the capability to mount serious\n attacks. Secondly, they are looking for places where they can try to \nsow divisions between the Muslims and Christians for them to exploit to \nthen organize in that country.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Traditionally, relations between Muslims\n and Christians have been good in Sri Lanka. May be, they calculated \nthat people will not be paying much attention because of that. Now, it \nis very important for the government and the religious communities to \nmake sure that there are no hostilities between the Christian and Muslim\n communities for ISIS to exploit.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> According to your own experience and observations, how long will it take for Sri Lanka to recover from this crisis?<\/strong>
    \nAs far as the law enforcement is concerned, you have to continuously \nwork with friends like India, the United States and others to prevent \nthese kinds of attacks in the future. The economic impact could last six\n to twelve months, once can reassure the international community that \nyou have mechanisms in place to detect and prevent future attacks inside\n the country. Indonesia, for example, set up a special counter-terrorism\n unit called Densus 88 that has been very successful in apprehending \nterrorists and preventing attacks. As a result, tourism is booming \nthere.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> Did you see signs of radicalization of Sri Lankan Muslims when you were here?<\/strong>
    \nThere were certainly pockets in eastern Sri Lanka where people were \nworried about growing Wahabi influence. But, I cannot say that people in\n 2009 were focused on possible Al-qaeda or ISIS threats. ISIS is a more \nrecent phenomenon. When I was here, the focus was rightly on the LTTE.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The economic impact could last \nsix to twelve months. As far as the law enforcement is concerned, you \nhave to continuously work with friends like India, the United States and\n others to prevent these kinds of attacks in the future<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>\n Again, back to the topic, Sri Lanka finds it difficult to reconcile its\n relations with the world powers including the United States, India, \nChina etc because each of these countries have different interests. What\n is your advice to Sri Lanka?<\/strong>
    \nFirst, my advice to America is that it should not ask the countries to \nchoose between China and the U.S. They do not want to choose. They want \nto have good relations with the US, China, India and others. To develop \nbetter business opportunities with these countries, you have to improve \nthe ease of doing business as much as possible. You have to heal \ndivisions that have been created in your society. You also must educate \nyour people to confront the challenges that would be posed by \nautomation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new technologies that will \nprofoundly affect all our countries.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    A\n good strategy is to establish educational partnerships with \nuniversities from the US and elsewhere. You should then encourage \ncompanies like Google, Apple and others to invest in these universities.\n This can enable cutting edge training and research that can help propel\n your economy.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your apparel companies are a model in \nthis respect. They have been able to maintain their competitive edge for\n a long time. They do so by continuously upgrading their capabilities, \ncutting costs and using advice from companies like Accenture who advice \ncompanies how to automate, use machine learning and other tools to stay \ncompetitive.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> A lot of western scholars talk about growing Chinese presence. What is your comment?<\/strong>
    \nChina has leveraged the Belt and Road Initiative to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region. The US is responding.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is establishing a new institution \ncalled the \u2018International Development Finance Cooperation (IDFC). It \nwill have US $ 60 billion of funding to help the American companies all \nover the Indo-Pacific region. I think we also need to do more to expand \nour high level diplomatic engagements. President Donald Trump needs to \ncome to the region more. Our ministers need to come to the region more. \nWe need to do everything possible to help our companies.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But we have our own advantages. We have \nthe soft power of our foundations, our non-governmental organizations, \nand our universities, all of whom bring the power of our ideas and \nsubstantial resources of their own. Another great US asset is the \ninvestment brought by American companies. People forget that the US is \nby far the largest private investor in Asia Pacific, not China.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>\n Assistance from the western countries including the US is linked to \npolitical commitments. It is not the case when it comes to China. They \ndon\u2019t interfere with internal politics. So, they have the advantage over\n other countries. How do you respond?<\/strong>
    \nMost of the problems of war are now behind you. There still needs to be \nmore efforts given to reconciliation between the Tamils and the \nSinhalese, and to priorities like reparations. At the same time, the \nEaster Sunday attacks have opened up new divisions in Sri Lanka between \nChristians and Muslims. That marks an additional priority for \nreconciliation. But no one is suggesting our assistance be conditioned. \nFour days after the attack, the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) \napproved a new programme for Sri Lanka. That was a concrete signal of US\n support.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> But, Sri Lanka needs to do some reforms to qualify for it\u2026<\/strong>
    \nThe MCC is a good governance programme. To be eligible, countries must \nensure good governance, stop corruption, and maintain strong independent\n institutions. The purpose of the programme is to encourage good \ngovernance. It is a positive reinforcement.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> How do you recommend Sri Lanka as an investment destination?<\/strong>
    \nI think Sri Lanka needs to do more to improve its investment climate. If\n you look at the World Bank\u2019s Index of Ease of Doing Business, Sri Lanka\n ranks 100 out of 190. And, that is not good enough. Yours is a \nrelatively small economy. If you want to attract the leading edge \ninvestments, you need to make sure that you are among the most open \neconomies in the world. For example, Singapore has a tiny population. \nBut, they have huge investments. Why? They are the number one country in\n Ease of Doing Business. It is easy to set up a business. They have a \nvery good, independent judiciary. There are no excessive regulations.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> How do you compare Sri Lanka with other countries like India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam in the region?<\/strong>
    \nIf you look at this independent index, Sri Lanka is behind all of them. \nSri Lanka is 23 points behind India. Sri Lanka is well behind Vietnam. \nSo your country has a lot to do. Now, with bombings people are going to \nbe more cautious about investing here. Now your country has to come \ntogether not only to heal these divisions but also think how to make the\n economy open as much as possible. Then, you can benefit from investment\n from all of these countries- the United States, China, India etc. There\n is a huge opportunity for your country.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong> The US is among the countries that welcomed the change in 2015. What do you feel today?<\/strong>
    \nI am very happy. Relations between Sri Lanka and the United States have \ncome an enormous distance. Our exports have increased by 40 per cent. We\n remain your largest market for exports. We have good military to \nmilitary relations. There is a lot of positive momentum now. I am very \nencouraged now.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Kelum Bandara Courtesy Daily Mirror Former Ambassador of the United Sates (US) to Sri Lanka Robert O. Blake, in an interview with Daily Mirror, shares his views on the Indo-Pacific strategy, the importance of Sri Lanka\u2019s strategic positioning in the region and its benefits to the country as a whole. He served as the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89043\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}