CP frowns on govt.’s handling of Chinese ship issue-By Rathindra Kuruwita
Source:Island
Sri Lankan governments have, during the past several years, ruined the relationship, progressive forces cultivated with China, over the past seven decades, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe says.Commenting on the decision by the government to delay the arrival of Chinese research vessel, Yuan Wang 5, Dr. Weerasinghe said that Sri Lanka had shown itself to be an unreliable partner.
“The damage is done. We have been trying to persuade the government to change its mind and allow the Chinese ship to dock, as scheduled. We are very disappointed at what happened.”
Dr. Weerasinghe said that a few months ago, an Aeroflot flight was arrested in Sri Lanka, over an issue with an Irish insurer. This was done, despite guarantees given by the Sri Lankan government that Russian aeroplanes will not be subjected to any issues created by sanctions levelled against Russia.
“It has been two months now. We no longer receive Russian tourists and, despite what is said officially, the Russian goodwill has been affected,” he said.Similarly, the controversy over the arrival of a Chinese research vessel and the government’s actions have created a rift with China. The government had indicated that it might allow the vessel to arrive in Sri Lanka following the Indian Independence Day, which falls on 15 August, he said. However, this is too little, too late, he said.
“We initially approved a request by China to dock Yuan Wang 5 at Hambantota. This was done on 12 July. Then we decided to walk back on our word on 05 August. By that time the Chinese ship had been at sea for over two weeks. If we had said we can’t accept the ship when the request was made, China would have understood. We have denied a request made in 2017 to dock a submarine that year and China understood where we came from. This is different. China is surprised and disappointed, for obvious reasons,” he said.
The CPSL General Secretary said that China and Russia have been reliable partners for decades and successive governments, despite their ideologies, have cherished these relationships.
“It takes decades to build a relationship, but these can be destroyed in weeks or days. Those who are high on anti-China propaganda will realise that they had been taken on a ride. However, it will be too late then,” he said.
Meanwhile, President of the Sri Lanka – China Friendship Association (SLCFA), attorney-at-law, Ananda Goonatilleke said that Sri Lanka is increasingly becoming a vassal state of India.
“India has made things harder for us in the past. India played a role in creating a war in Sri Lanka. China helped us end it. It has helped us at the international stage. We must assert our independence and sovereignty,” he said.
