independent foreignpolicy.Thepreviousgovernmentin
the Maldives headedby Abdullah Yameenhad a strained
relationshipwithIndia.TheModigovernmentviewed it
as beingcloseto China.Yameen’sdefeatin the electionin
Aprilthisyearhas not changedthe groundrealitiesthere
despite thenewgovernment’sannouncementthatit is
reverting to an “Indiafirst”foreignpolicyagain.China
remains thebiggestinvestorandaid donorin theMal-
dives.In its dealingswithdevelopingcountries, China
abstains frominterferingin theirinternalaffairs.India,
on theotherhand,is viewedas beingcloseto certain
partiesandindividualsin the subcontinent.
Mostgovernments in theregionview“bigbrother”
Indiawithsuspicion,andthe Sri Lankansare no excep-
tion.TheModigovernment’sinterferencein the internal
affairsof neighbouringcountriesis welldocumented.
Previous governments toohaveblatantlyinterferedin
the internalaffairsof SouthAsian countries.Indiacould
get awaywitha lot in the pastas boththe UnitedStates
andChinarecognised SouthAsiaas beingwithinthe
ambitof India’s sphereof influence.
BELT ANDROADINITIATIVE
ButthingshavechangedsinceChinastartedaspiringto
be a superpower andan importantplayer in the region.
SouthAsiancountries,including Sri Lanka, werethirsty
for investmentsfor infrastructuraldevelopment.Some
countries wouldhaveactuallypreferredIndian invest-
mentsandaid,butIndiawasin no positionto compete
withChina. AlltheSouth Asiancountries, excluding
IndiaandBhutan,havesignedon to the ambitiousmulti-
billion-dollarBeltandRoadInitiative (BRI)thatChina
launchedin 2013.Ambitiousflagshipprojects underthe
BRIwerelaunchedin the Maldives andSri Lanka. This
includedthedevelopmentof ColomboPortCityand
Male-airportlinkroad.Maleis thecapitalof theMal-
dives. ColomboPortCityandthe newHambantota port
are slatedto playan importantrolein the BRI.
Indiawasofferedthefirst optionof developing the
Hambantotaport,butithadtoturntheofferdownasit
couldnotmuster the necessaryfinances for the gargan-
tuanproject.Theporthasnowbeenhandedoverto
China on a 99-year leasein a controversial$1.2billion
debtfor equity swap. Indiahas beenoffereda leaseon the
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, 220 kilo-
metresfromColombo,whichhas beendubbedthe
world’s emptiestairport. Nointernationalflightsland
there.
Chinese companies havealready invested$15billion
in infrastructureprojects in Sri Lanka. Indiawasableto
pledgeonly$2.6billion fordevelopmentprojects.In
2017 , Indiaagreedto refurbishanduse 99 oil tanksin the
Trincomaleeharbour.In Marchthisyear,Chinaagreed
to extenda loanof $989millionfor the constructionof a
roadthatwillconnect the tea-growingareasin the cent-
ral region to portsin the south.
It is notonlyIndiathatis concerned aboutChina’s
growingfootprint on theisland. TheU.S. andtheG7
countrieshavealsoexpressedtheirconcernsto theSri
Lankan government.Beforethe IndianPrimeMinister’s
visitto Colombo, therewasan agreement between India
andJapanto develop the EastContainer Terminal(ECT)
of the Colomboport.IndiaandJapanwillholda 49 per
centstakein the ECTwiththe Sri LankaPortsAuthority
holdingthe rest.Thisis an indicationthatthe twocoun-
triesmayjoinhandsto counterChina’sinfluencein theMODIwith former Presidentof Sri LankaMahinda Rajapaksain Colombo on March 14,
2015.The Indian PrimeMinister made it a pointto meet with Rajapaksa duringhis recent
visit to Sri Lanka.PTI PTI