By Shihar Aneez
COLOMBO – Amid rising geopolitical concerns, fifteen young Sri Lankan from the ruling coalition, including parliamentarians, left for China on a familiarization tour on the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).
Five members from President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) and 10 from former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) left the country on a 9-day tour which includes visiting two Chinese provinces.
The tour is likely to raise more concerns as both India and the United States are keenly watching the moves by China to keep their influence in Sri Lanka, political analysts say. China is one of the biggest lenders to Sri Lanka amid criticism that Beijing’s loans have led the island nation to the current unprecedented economic crisis and sovereign debt default.
India and the US have raised concerns over China’s increasing influence in Sri Lanka and questioned Beijing’s possible intention of establishing military base in the island nation where they own a port in the deep southern district of Hambantota and a Port City in a reclaimed land next to main port in Colombo.
Beijing’s familiarization tours are not unusual as China has offered the same for influential people, professionals, and journalists in the past. The participants in the current tour are some of the young politicians who are aspiring to become legislators in the future.
The group will be in Kunming in the Yunnan province for three days until Saturday (22) where they will meet provincial CPC officials, participate in a seminar on ‘experience of targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization based on local characteristics’ , and visit some model villages and modern agricultural base.
BRI Cooperation, Opportunities
During the rest of the tour, the Sri Lankan politicians will visit Fujian province and the capital Beijing. They are scheduled to participate in a seminar in Fujian on high quality Belt Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and opportunities of development for regional countries.
Sri Lanka is one of the strategic Chinese partners in the BRI and most of the country’s Beijing-funded infrastructure comes under the BRI, Sri Lankan government officials have said.
In Beijing, the Sri Lankans will meet experts of the CPC Central Committee.
Sri Lankan legislators D. V. Chanaka and Nipuna Ranawaka, a nephew of former president Rajapaksa have represented the SLPP.
The other members in the SLPP delegation which left to China, according to the official document signed by the party secretary, include Milinda Rajapaksa (former local councillor/ Director at Media Centre for National Development), Ravindra Samarawickrama (senior lecturer), Udara Wijesinghe (Chairman – Cashew Corporation), Kanishka Bandara (LLB, London), Sudarma Kulathunga (journalist), Sudima Chandani (Secretary, federation of Local Government Authorities), Thambirajah Thajeevaran, and Gorakapitiyage Chaminda Aruna Shantha.
The UNP representatives include, former state minister Ruwan Wijewardena, Eranthi Ranga Bandara, Jeyaraj Vishnuraj, Sajana Sooriyaarachchi, and Duminda Attygala.
The delegation will return to Sri Lanka on April 28.
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