March 26, 2015
President Sirisena’s first state visit to China risks being overshadowed by the debate over Colombo Port City.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is headed to China this week, both to pay a state visit to Beijing and to attend the annual Boao Forum in Hainan. It will be Sirisena’s first chance to interact directly with China’s top leaders since he came into office in January, after running in part on a promise to scrutinize foreign (including Chinese) investment in Sri Lanka.
That promise has played out in the strange saga of Colombo Port City, a $1.4 billion project funded by a Chinese company. Sirisena’s government said it would “reassess” the deal back in January, citing concerns over the environmental impact as well as the original agreement to cede or lease 108 hectares of land to the Chinese construction firm involved, China Communications Co. Ltd. (CCCC). On February 5, Colombo then announced that the project would move forward after all – saying its own environmental study cleared the construction. It’s no coincidence that the resumption of the project came as a high-ranking Chinese official was visiting Sri Lanka.
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