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SPECIAL 2022: Lanka falls into Chinese Debt Trap

With Sri Lankan debts to China in excess of $8 billion, the room for manoeuvre for the government of the day was already quite limited…writes Sumit Kumar Singh

For some South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh, the ‘China Nightmare’ is no longer just a bad dream. It is a living reality, which continues to threaten the countries’ national interests, and eat away at their very sovereignty.

Sri Lanka’s fall into the dragon’s trap was triggered when China, taking advantage of the souring relations between Colombo and the Washington, started its aggressive courting of the Mahenda Rajapaksa government from the time he assumed office in 2005.

By 2007, the war against the LTTE was raging, and the island nation was facing increasing international criticism over human rights issues.

The US significantly reduced its foreign assistance package, and neighbour India’s assistance was constrained by the Tamil sentiments back home.

Aerial photo taken on June 30, 2021 shows a cargo ship at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota International Port. (Photo by Liu Hongru/Xinhua/IANS)

The dragon, which was closely watching, swooped in with a $37 million deal for Chinese ammunition and ordnance.

This was followed in 2008 by the gift of six F7 fighters, JY-11 radar and anti-aircraft guns. By the time the war with the LTTE ended in 2009, relations with China were upgraded to a ‘strategic cooperative partnership’.

However, the deadliest move made by China in its strategic game was made in 2007 itself, when it got Rajapaksa to lease land at Hambantota for construction of a port at a cost of $1 billion.

By 2014, Chinese aid and loans to Sri Lanka had exceeded a staggering $6 billion, which included the Colombo Port City Project (CPCP), the South Container Terminal at Colombo Port, an Exclusive Investment Zone 35 miles from Colombo port, and a railway project. The net had been cast.

It now remained for China to commence reeling it in.

President Xi Jinping, in his September 2014 visit to Sri Lanka, did just that, and an agreement for Chinese companies to operate the by now bleeding Hambantota port was signed.

Having snared its prey under a debt trap, Beijing then commenced leveraging its might into arm-twisting Colombo to get CCP Navy submarines to dock at Sri Lankan ports during their deployment to the Indian Ocean.

These submarines, which are accompanied by submarine rescue ships, have been entering the region more frequently in the recent past, and find Sri Lanka to be a convenient port of call.

What is interesting to note here is that Sri Lanka is the only country in the Indian Ocean besides Pakistan, where these submarines have entered during their deployment over the last seven years.

China’s shadow has also loomed large over Sri Lanka’s politics and elections.

After 2011, China had also been influencing Sri Lanka’s foreign policy decisions, having established a firm grip over the government through the bourgeoning debt traps.

With Sri Lankan debts to China in excess of $8 billion, the room for manoeuvre for the government of the day was already quite limited. And of course, Chinese diplomacy has always been very nimble to adjust its front to changing dynamics.

In the aftermath of the 2015 elections, China commenced courting not only the political parties, but also prominent Buddhist clergy in the island nation. This development was through the realisation of the influence of these religious figures in Sri Lankan domestic politics.

Sri Lanka-China tussle intensifies as Qingdao fertiliser company to pursue arbitration in Singapore

Certain other factors threaten to push Sri Lanka deeper into the dragon’s trap.

Last year, the IMF prematurely ended the $1.5 billion loan programme to the island nation. This was accompanied with the Covid pandemic, which delivered a terrible blow to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.

This ‘double whammy’ ended any thoughts that Sri Lanka may have been nurturing of salvaging its situation against China.

In March this year, Sri Lanka announced a $1.5 billion currency swap with the Chinese Central Bank. It also declared its partnership with China in developing two irrigation reservoirs in the Sinharaja Reserve Forest, which is a UNESCO-protected heritage site.

In June 21, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) bagged a project for construction of a 17-km elevated highway in Colombo, the terms of which provide full ownership to the company for revenue and profits for 18 years.

This is the same CHEC, which is a subsidiary of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) that is leading the Hambantota Port Project, Mattala International Airport and the $1.1 billion Colombo Port City.

For the 2015 elections, payments totalling to $1.1 million were linked from CHEC to Rajapaksa’s election campaign supporters.

Today, the situation is grim to the extent that the Chinese squeeze is resulting in Sri Lanka backing off from deals with other countries.

In December 2020, Sri Lanka cancelled a $480 million compact with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation. In the same month, Sri Lanka also cancelled the Colombo East Container Terminal Agreement, in which both India and Japan were signatories.

There have been some attempts made by Sri Lanka this year to showcase ‘non-alignment’ in strategic projects, but the Chinese influence in Sri Lanka makes these efforts appear extremely feeble as of now.

The Chinese strategy is a cancerous trap that lures its victims at a time when they are at their weakest.

The bait however, remains constant – money and apparent ‘soft’ loans, thereby trapping the Government of the day in frivolous infrastructure projects at rates which are ‘too good to be true’.

The modus operandi of engagement has been similar in Africa, Asia and Latin America where countries have been indebted with Chinese loans of billions of dollars.

Sri Lanka was baited when it was facing international criticism on human rights issues, and its strategic allies and neighbours such as the US and India were not available to help.

The decisions made by the Sri Lankan leadership at that time led to the dragon wrapping itself around its prey, and today the island nation is finding its strategic decision making increasingly constricted by this tight grip of Beijing.

ALSO READ: SRI LANKA 2022: Financial Crisis Deepens

3 January 2022
SRI LANKA 2022: Financial Crisis Deepens

The crisis is compounded by high government spending and tax cuts eroding state revenues, vast debt repayments to China and foreign exchange reserves at their lowest levels in a decade…reports Asian Lite News

Sri Lanka is facing a deepening financial and humanitarian crisis with fears it could go bankrupt in 2022 as inflation rises to record levels, food prices rocket and its coffers run dry, The Guardian reported.

The meltdown faced by the government, led by the strongman president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is in part caused by the immediate impact of the Covid crisis and the loss of tourism but is compounded by high government spending and tax cuts eroding state revenues, vast debt repayments to China and foreign exchange reserves at their lowest levels in a decade, the report said.

Inflation has meanwhile been spurred by the government printing money to pay off domestic loans and foreign bonds.

The World Bank estimates 500,000 people have fallen below the poverty line since the beginning of the pandemic, the equivalent of five years’ progress in fighting poverty.

Inflation hit a record high of 11.1 per cent in November and escalating prices have left those who were previously well off struggling to feed their families, while basic goods are now unaffordable for many, The Guardian reported. After Rajapaksa declared Sri Lanka to be in an economic emergency, the military was given power to ensure essential items, including rice and sugar, were sold at set government prices – but it has done little to ease people’s woes, the report added.

ALSO READ: Lankans blame Rajapaksa family for economic crisis

3 January 2022
Lanka Faces Forex Crisis

Many analysts have said that the current economic crisis is worse than the erstwhile LTTE problem that the nation faced. ..writes Mahua Venkatesh

In 2019, the year when Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took over, the foreign exchange reserves of the country stood at $7.5 billion. In just a little over two years, the foreign exchange reserves of the island nation have fallen to $1.58 billion-which is just enough to support imports for a month.

While the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly harsh on the tourism industry-dependent Sri Lanka, a large section of society is of the opinion that the problems only aggravated due to the mishandling of the situation by the Rajapaksas. Prices of essential items including food have risen manifold forcing people to reduce their consumption. To add to this an acute shortage of cooking gas has hit households.

The Sri Lankan cabinet now has five members of the Rajapaksa family after Basil Rajapaksa, brother of Gotabaya became the finance minister. Mahindra Rajapaksa is currently serving as Prime Minister while the 78 year-old Chamal Rajapaksa is minister of irrigation. The prime minister’s eldest son Namal serves as the youth and sports minister.

“Among the politicians, the most responsible for the economy are the President, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Finance. Alas, they all come from the same Rajapaksa family! Can that be a root cause of the economic crisis today? Of course, it is,” Laksiri Fernando, author and political commentator, in a recent column, published by Sri Lanka Guardian said.

Fernando added that when the present President was elected in November 2019, people even in the opposition had some hopes that he would be corrupt-free or straight forward, although his name had already been tarnished with some corruption allegations.

Many analysts have said that the current economic crisis is worse than the erstwhile LTTE problem that the nation faced.

Flag of Sri Lanka.

“The pandemic has hit the economy no doubt but the situation today is going out of hand. The problems are multiplying because of mismanagement. These are unusual times that need unusual resolve and policy making. Definitely none of that is happening,” one of them told India Narrative.

As the country’s foreign exchange reserves deplete steadily and inflation breach the double digit figure, Sri Lanka’s GDP growth rate contracted by 1.5 per cent. ICRA Lanka has now sounded an alarm bell saying that the external sector troubles of Sri Lanka are on the brink of breaking point.

Sri Lanka’s food prices rose by 17.5 per cent and the overall prices rose by 9.9 per cent from a year ago, recording the highest in at least in 10 years, but in reality the prices have climbed in several multiples in the last couple of months than what the official prices suggest, Daily Mirror said.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Lankan President prays at Tirumala temple

27 December 2021
Lanka sets $3bn revenue goal from fintechs

An expert committee has been appointed to formulate a fintech roadmap for Sri Lanka…reports Asian Lite News

Sri Lanka will aim to scale up its Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Business Process Management (BPM) export industry to $3 billion, state media quoting a government Minister has reported.

Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth and Sports as well as State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development, was quoted in state-owned Daily News on Tuesday, saying that an expert committee has been appointed to formulate a fintech roadmap for Sri Lanka, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the need for significant support and investment on digital transformation, effective digital governance across all countries in the region, in particular delivery of core government functions,” Rajapksa said.

Inclusion should be at the heart of digital transformation and that modern technology should be integrated into all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry and services, he added.

ALSO READ: Sri Lanka-China tussle intensifies as Qingdao fertiliser company to pursue arbitration in Singapore

15 December 2021
Chinese debt trap: Lanka going Ugandan way

Lankan former Army Commander alleged that it has been made a slave of one camp and also have worked to achieve political and military ambitions of another state, and thereby let the country lose it’s integrity and sovereignty.,,,reports Asian Lite News

Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Army Commander and Presidential candidate, has warned that Sri Lanka which has fallen into Chinas debt trap would end up like Uganda, which had to give away their only international airport to China.

Fonseka, who led Sri Lanka’s three-decade long civil war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels to victory in 2009, said this in a Facebook post titled “Sri Lanka is being engulfed in Chinese debt trap that destroyed Uganda”.

Drawing a parallel between Uganda’s airport and Chinese-funded new airport built in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka, he added that going beyond the country’s foreign diplomacy, it has been made a slave of one camp and also have worked to achieve political and military ambitions of another state, and thereby let the country lose it’s integrity and sovereignty.

ALSO READ: Rogue fertiliser ship from China flouts orders, returns to Sri Lanka

“Just as what happened during the Rajapaksa’s regime, the corrupt political leaders of Uganda, ignoring the national plan and priorities, had gone on with the constructions with commercial loans at high interest rates that attract commissions,” alleged Field Marshal Fonseka.

“Instead of developing the Colombo Harbour, Hambantota Harbour which was not so important project, is now owned by China and it is being used as a naval corridor in the centre of the Indian Ocean,” the former military leader said.

“Hambantota Harbour is being looked at as a Chinese Naval base by India, the US and other Quad countries. This is a serious threat to Sri Lanka’s security. We would be able to see the result of these idiotic decisions during the definite power struggle in the region within next 60 to 80 months.”

The opposition MP, Fonseka, who said with the way how Chinese Ambassador is being reacted like a “mad man for the dirt ship”, the future is very clear and we have to rectify this situation in the future.

ALSO READ: Navies of India, Lanka, Maldives conduct trilateral operations

ALSO READ: Dragon’s trap choke Lanka

1 December 2021
Dragon’s trap chokes Lanka

Being aided by a regime with a military grip headed by a former military officer, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Beijing found the present regime more conducive than the first Rajapaksa regime in 2005-2015 due to its military orientation….writes Asanga Abeyagoonasekera

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met virtually earlier this week to ensure competition between Beijing and Washington does not lead to conflict. The tensions over Taiwan, bilateral trade, Indo-Pacific security have escalated over time. The meeting came at the backdrop of warnings by senior-level security experts against Chinas military buildup and its hypersonic missile capability.

The virtual meeting failed to produce major breakthroughs, according to Amy Mackinnon, but it did lower the temperature as geopolitical tensions rise, China is already assiduously securing its national interest detrimental to many South Asian nations, and Sri Lanka is a clear case of the Chinese grip due to its militaristic regime and the escalating economic crisis.

Sri Lanka, the island-nation closer to the Indian sub-continent, has been a clear case study to understand the implications of China’s large scale infrastructure projects, vaccine diplomacy, and Chinese loans. Being aided by a regime with a military grip headed by a former military officer, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Beijing found the present regime more conducive than the first Rajapaksa regime in 2005-2015 due to its military orientation.

China has built two critical infrastructure facilities facing the Indian ocean — the Hambantota Port and the Colombo Port City. China has secured long term foothold from lease agreements signed loosely where these facilities could transform to military outposts. China cleverly demonstrates that it has no malign intentions to make it military by floating the idea that third countries could invest in the Chinese infrastructure. However, where are the third countries? It is more of a strategy to hide the military intentions from the public perception.

Chinese-President Xi Jinping (Source twitter@ChinaAmbUN)

A new Pentagon report highlights China’s “intention to establish a more robust overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to project and sustain military power at greater distances. Beyond its base in Djibouti, China is pursuing additional military facilities to support naval, air, ground, cyber, and space power projection. China has likely considered a number of countries, including Sri Lanka, as locations for PLA facilities”.

With multiple financial borrowings from China, Sri Lanka has become heavily dependent on China. This is further exacerbated by the presuusere that China exerts on domestic politics. Pressure exerted on the regime is visible from the recent Chinese fertiliser shipment rejected by Sri Lankan authorities.

The Chinese Embassy tweeted blacklisting Sri Lanka’s People’s Bank explaining the events leading to the aggressive decision.

In a tweet, the mission said: “Seawin (Chinese company) won open bid, signed contracts, passed tests of China and Int’l agency designated by Ceylon Fertilizer, shipped before due. NPQ SL disagreed in halfway, called toxic/harmful. Ship refused. Third-party test refused. L/C payment obligation refused. PBS blacklisted.”

The blacklisting was a clear warning of Chinese pressure on Sri Lanka.

Ajantha De Silva, director-general, Sri Lankan Department of Agriculture, said: “Our tests on the samples showed that the (Chinese) fertiliser was not sterile. We have identified bacteria which are harmful to plants like carrots and potatoes.”

The clear rejection was a black mark for the Chinese fertiliser company Qingdao Seawin defending and saying: “The unscientific detection method and conclusion of National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQ) in Sri Lanka obviously do not comply with international animal and plant quarantine convention” and falsely accuses Chinese company to slander the image of the Chinese enterprises and the Chinese government.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa meets Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe(Twitter)

While the Sri Lankan authorities have not changed their position, the Chinese would prefer to retest the sample from a third party. The authorities rejected this attempt to retest. The question is why is the Chinese ship ‘Hippo Sprit’ is still in Sri Lankan waters. After the Sri Lankan authorities rejected these shipments a month before the ship was seen closer to the Sri Lankan waters in November. China is pressuring the Sri Lankan government to accept an alternative process (third party test) to save the reputation of their global company Qingdao Seawind. The blacklisting of the bank was an initial indicator to exert pressure on the regime. Another reason for the ship to remain in Sri Lankan waters was explained by Nalinda Jayatissa member of the JVP political party, due to a substantial underhand corruption between the Prime Minister’s office and the local agents of the Chinese company.

The fertiliser incident was an eye-opener to the regime to recalibrate its posture and balance the China tilt and dependency. New Delhi stepped in to support Sri Lanka to promote organic fertiliser amidst the tussle between Colombo and Beijing. The two Indian IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft arrived in Colombo with 100,000 kg of nano nitrogen. India will be able to bounce back and reduce the Chinese footprint in the island now, and the Sri Lankan government could recalibrate its China bandwagoning foreign policy posture.

China depicted their aggressive posture over the fertiliser incident when Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crisis. The same aggressiveness of China is visible in India’s immediate periphery, according to Rajeswari Rajagopalan. China is building villages in Arunachal Pradesh where they are populating with perhaps military/civil population. In Ladakh, there are at least nine patrol points in the fingers area and south of Demchok that India is no longer able to access, which are severe concerns for the security of India. Adding to this is China’s pressure and expanse in Sri Lanka.

Clearly, “India’s behaviour has been defensive in both diplomatic and military spheres, while China has adopted an extremely aggressive tone and engaged in similar military behaviour”, assess Rajagopalan.

This Indian posture could change if the present aggressiveness continues escalating in India’s periphery.

Protest over economic dysfunctionality in Sri Lanka
Synchronously, addressing the insurmountable external foreign pressure and the domestic public frustration over a heightened economic crisis will be a formidable challenge for the Sri Lankan regime. The new budget presented by Finance minister Basil Rajapaksa did not suggest any solution to the foreign exchange crisis the country is facing nor the food crisis stemming from the recent ban on agro-chemical fertiliser. Thousands gathered in a mass rally in Colombo to demonstrate their frustration and anger over the Sri Lankan repressive regime of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The economic crisis triggered multiple shocks, including shortage of essentials and the rising cost of living was the substantial factor for the public agitation despite multiple attempts by the Police to prevent the rally, being organised without the approval of the health authorities. The regime has abused the pandemic restrictions for their benefit, to suppress the democratic norms of the country and expand its autocratic rule. The massive protest depicts the apparent anger of the public risking to protect the democratic essence of the country.

Despite various attempts by the government, including court orders, to prevent the protest march, the main opposition party SJB, held the rally in Colombo. The heavily militarised regime in Sri Lanka will face severe headwinds in the coming months on the escalating economic crisis and human rights abuse.

The majoritarian polity shows signs of a clear shift, a detachment from the Rajapaksa regime. The arbitrary detention of hundreds using the PTA and handing over the crucial ‘one country one law’ task force to an ultra-nationalist Buddhist monk was a disappointment for the minority community, overall the policy prescription of the regime are all signs towards anarchy and a crisis worsening by the day.

(Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is a Geopolitical Analyst, Strategic Advisor on Security and Author from Sri Lanka)

ALSO READ: Rogue fertiliser ship from China flouts orders, returns to Sri Lanka

18 November 2021
Worse than nuclear bomb; Lanka slams Chinese fertiliser

In September, the NPQS has twice rejected Chinese vessel ‘Hippo Spirit’ which had arrived at Sri Lanka carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser….reports Asian Lite News

While twice rejected bacteria-infected Chinese fertiliser ship has created diplomatic tussle between Sri Lanka and China, agriculture rights activists in the island nation have charged that the vessel with so-called organic fertiliser is worse than a ‘nuclear bomb’.

Namal Karunaratne, National Organiser of the All Ceylon Farmers Federation complained that once mixed with the local soil, the spread of bacteria contained in the Chinese organic fertiliser in question could not be stopped and neither bacterium could be destroyed.

“You can at least see the nuclear bomb but you cannot see the harmful bacteria,” the activists demanded.

“Nuclear bomb can be defused before it blasts but how can bacteria infected soil be cured. If this fertiliser entered the island nation it would be much worse than the coronavirus pandemic and we could never be able to get rid of the bad effects of it,” Karunaratne added.

He also warned that the government should not stand by a Chinese company as the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) which comprised of experts in the subject is an independent institution in the country.

In September, the NPQS has twice rejected Chinese vessel ‘Hippo Spirit’ which had arrived at Sri Lanka carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser.

The consignment was a part of the 99,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser cost at nearly $5 million.

The government had planned to import $63 million worth of fertiliser from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.

With plans to go fully organic, the island nation had banned the use of chemical fertiliser and was promoting the organic farming. But agitated farmers had taken to the streets demanding fertiliser from the government for major paddy harvesting season.

On September 17 agriculture scientists found that China manufactured organic fertiliser contained a harmful microorganism identified as ‘Erwinia’.

However, China was forcing Sri Lankan authorities to pay for the organic fertiliser but the Sri Lankan court had imposed a temporary order not to make any payment to the Chinese fertiliser company.

In reply, China had immediately blacklisted one of Sri Lanka’s oldest state banks, through which the transaction was to take place.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong told media that the government has agreed to test the fertiliser sampled by the third party.

However, Agriculture Ministry Secretary Prof. Udith K. Jayasinghe has said that the decision not to go to a third party for testing has not changed.

A number of agricultural academic organisations have protested against China’s fertiliser ship and had claimed it would have a long term consequences on country’s soil.

Over the last two month, the fertiliser vessel has been hovering around western seas off Sri Lanka at times switching off the Automatic Identification System (AIS), hiding ship’s location.

ALSO READ: China’s 3rd aircraft carrier likely to be launched next year

15 November 2021
Rogue Chinese fertiliser ship returns to Lankan waters

Hippo Spirit had left China with 20,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser which was found to be contaminated with hazardous bacteria …reports Rahul Kumar

Chinese ship Hippo Spirit which had been told to leave by Colombo for bringing contaminated organic fertiliser to Sri Lanka seems to have come back to Sri Lankan waters under another name-Seiyo Explorer.

Hippo Spirit had left China with 20,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser which was found to be contaminated with hazardous bacteria. After two tests, the Sri Lankan government decided to suspend the imports of the fertiliser from China, citing threat to the country’s soil and crops.

News First website quotes Dr Ajantha De Silva, the DG of the Department of Agriculture as saying: “We did not grant the bulk permit to import stocks of the fertilizer. So without that permit, we cannot accept this ship even if it comes here. There are no provisions under the Plant quarantine act for us to accept this ship”.

China is on the defensive over the export of the contaminated fertiliser. Global Times, the Chinese government-managed newspaper quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying: “at the moment, China and Sri Lanka are working on the issue through communication and coordination”.

Sri Lanka does not seem to be in any mood to relent.

After the rejection of the fertiliser, the ship turned to Singapore and anchored at Malacca Strait. The ship’s automatic identification system was deactivated at the Malacca Strait. Reportedly, the ship did not return to China with the contaminated fertiliser.

Now Sri Lankan authorities find that a Chinese ship under the name Seiyo Explorer is in Sri Lankan waters, parked in the south-east near the China-controlled Hambantota por

The Sri Lankan media reports that despite the change in the name from Hippo Spirit to Seiyo Explorer, the vessel was traced by a ship-tracking website, which says that both the ships appear to have the same International Maritime Organization (IMO) number–9135523.

The IMO ship identification number is a unique seven-digit number that remains unchanged through a vessel’s lifetime irrespective of change of ownership or country.

According to Pew Trusts, a UK-based company, IHS Maritime & Trade, has been assigned the responsibility of assigning IMO numbers to ships. Pew Trusts says: “The unique seven-digit vessel number the company issues to each vessel, preceded by the letters IMO, stays with it until it is scrapped and never changes, regardless of the ship’s owner, country of registration or name”.

However, in a classic case of arm-twisting by Chinese fertiliser manufacturer, Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co, it sent the ship back to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile the Chinese embassy in Colombo is mounting pressure on Sri Lankan authorities to accept the contaminated fertiliser.

After the Sri Lankan authorities found the ship anchored off the coast of Weligama, 61 nautical miles from Sri Lanka, the Colombo Port Harbour Master issued instructions to not allow the Chinese fertiliser ship to enter any of the ports in the island nation, says the Colombo Page website.

With mounting pressure from China, Sri Lanka is now monitoring the ship carefully.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Indian firms snub China expo

7 November 2021
Lankan general’s Moscow visit cements defence ties

The Sri Lankan army chief also discussed regional security issues with his Russian counterpart….reports Rahul Kumar

General Shavendra Silva, the Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff is in Moscow on a eight-day-long visit. He also paid his respects to fallen Russian soldiers at the war heroes memorial–the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He met with Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov to discuss matters related to enhancement of tri-service training for Sri Lankan personnel, holding of more joint exercises and exchange of knowledge on mechanical and engineering technologies.

The Sri Lankan army chief also discussed regional security issues with his Russian counterpart.

The two nations have increased cooperation in defence and military spheres over the past few years. General Salyukov had visited Colombo in 2020.

Just last week, the Russian Navy had sent a warship and two submarines, part of its Pacific Fleet, to the Colombo Port. These included vessels–Corvette Gremyashchiy and submarines B- 603 and B-274, which had arrived for replenishments.

A Sri Lankan defence delegation had visited Moscow in September to participate in military forums and had held talks with the Russian defence ministry. The delegation also discussed participation in international military exercises and promoting ties between Russian and Sri Lankan defence education establishments.

Reportedly, Sri Lanka plans to buy Su-30 fighter jets and armoured personnel carriers from Russia.

General Silva will also visit the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, the Military Artillery Academy, Military Medical Academy and several other places of military and tourist importance.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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3 November 2021
Sri Lanka Ready to Welcome Travellers
All cultural and recreational sites in Sri Lanka are now open and tourists can access any part of the country with ease … A special report by Asian Lite News

An emerald isle perched in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean which has entranced explorers, adventurers and merchants over thousands of years is now fully open and ready to welcome travellers from around the world.

The Conde Nast 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards last month ranked the island among ‘The Best Countries to Travel to’ right now – reflecting the eagerness of tourists to flock to the island.

All cultural and recreational sites in Sri Lanka are now open and tourists can access any part of the country with ease. As a result of a steady decline in COVID-19 infections in Sri Lanka due to the efficient vaccine drive carried out where 68% of Sri Lanka’s 21.9 million total population are fully vaccinated, the Robert Koch Institute has removed Sri Lanka from its list of high-risk countries, thus paving the way for tourists to holiday in the island with the upcoming winter season being the ideal time to visit the island destination.

With no minimum duration of stay, travellers can apply for tourist visa online at www.eta.gov.lk. Tourists who have completed 14 days after the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccination and arrive in Sri Lanka with a negative COVID-19 PCR Report within 72 hours of embarkation will be considered as fully vaccinated. Any vaccination type is accepted by Sri Lankan authorities. Moreover, fully vaccinated travellers are exempted from obtaining the mandatory COVID-19 Local Insurance cover. However, travellers should ensure that they have a comprehensive travel insurance that will cover health and other expenses related to COVID-19.

Fully vaccinated travellers if accompanied by not-vaccinated/not-fully vaccinated children of 12-18 years, pay for on-arrival PCR test at USD 40 per test. Travelers can pay for PCR test at the Ministry of Health approved laboratory established at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) or any other MOH approved laboratory.

Also, travellers can visit www.visitsrilanka.gov.lk to pay in advance. Unvaccinated children below the age of 12 are allowed entry into the country with no PCR test on arrival. Travellers who have not received COVID-19 vaccination, nor completed the recommended doses of vaccination (not-fully vaccinated) and/or departed from abroad within less than 2 weeks of completion of recommended doses of vaccination will be considered as not-vaccinated or not-fully-vaccinated travellers will also be permitted to travel in Sri Lanka within the safety of the Tourism Bio Bubble.

Mr Prasanna Ranatunga, Tourism Minister, Sri Lanka

COVID-19 recovered travellers who are vaccinated, but not yet completed 2 weeks from the recommended doses of vaccination (not-fully vaccinated) can also visit under the safety of the Tourism Bio-Bubble and will be entitled for a shorter, flexible bio-bubble period at “Safe & Secure Certified L1’’ hotel/s. More information on the protocol to be followed by the two traveller segments can be found on helloagain (srilanka.travel)

Despite its compact size, Sri Lanka boasts of one of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world – whether in plants or animals – and is included among the top five biodiversity hotspots in the world. Teeming with wildlife parks and the surrounding ocean being home to large families of cetaceans including the mighty blue whales, sperm whales and playful dolphins – the island is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers. Sri Lanka has one of the richest diversity of amphibians in the world, containing over 106 species of amphibians of over 90 of which are endemic – offering the highest amphibian species density in the world with a high concentration in the Sinharaja rainforest. The destination understands the importance of protecting the natural resources the Island has been blessed with and Sri Lanka Tourism has implemental many initiatives in line with its goal of developing Sri Lanka as a sustainable destination.

The endless expanse of beaches and miles and miles of coastline attract many tourists to bask under its tropical sun. Other than taking a dip in the oceans or snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing are the most popular beach sports in the country. Today, the oceans filled with coral gardens, multitude of exotic fish and ancient wrecks offer one of the best diving experiences in the world.

The sea around Sri Lanka is also one of the most challenging marine game fishing locations while white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing are some of the relatively new water sports practiced in the country. With a multitude of roads winding through expanding mountains, lush green forests, paddy fields, parks and sleepy villages, Sri Lanka also offers many opportunities to keen hikers and trekkers.

Recognised as one of the World’s Top Wellness Destinations in 2021 by the Global Wellness Institute, Sri Lanka is the perfect wellness destination getaway. With its Ayurveda and yoga traditions, rich heritage and culture, authentic and distinctive cuisine, warm and hospitable people, abundant flora and fauna and a multitude of water-based activities the island is ideally positioned to welcome the wellness seeker.

Ms. Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB)

It is evident that wellness has evolved beyond yoga retreats and spa treatments, wellness now is anything that brings balance to ones being, be it a walk through a forest, swimming with giant turtles, plucking your own tea or learning to make authentic local cuisine. Wellness is now considered largely experiential, and the Sri Lankan Tourism product is positioned perfectly to curate authentic wellness experiences with the ability to differentiate the offering from regional rivals.

Highlighted by CNN , BBC and Forbes for as a destination not to be missed, Post Covid travellers looking for places to explore and re-connect with themselves and nature would find Sri Lanka ideal. Blessed with abundant flora and fauna, wildlife, serene beaches, friendly people, amazing food and authentic experiences will offer everything and more to the traveller seeking peace and a sense of freedom. The Island has emerged as a destination where travellers have a desire to look beyond the superficial elements and explore more the authentic experience-driven route. The Island is open and eager to welcome back visitors and the easing of entry protocols makes it the perfect escape. The Island is an experiential treasure trove, waiting to be re-discovered.

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- Mr Prasanna Ranatunga, Tourism Minister, Sri Lanka
- Ms. Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB)
1 November 2021