China has reiterated that there are no plans of militarising Sri Lanka’s southern Hambantota report reiterated Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickrememsinghe after a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan.
Responding to press concerns about Chinese militarisation of the port, Ambassador Xueyuan said,
“China never interferes in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and is willing to work with the Sri Lankan side to push forward the latter’s economic and social development by promoting a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, winning cooperation.”
Speaking after the meeting Mr Wickremesinghe said,
There is no issue of Chinese militarisation of the Hambantota Port at all. Sri Lankan Navy is the sole military force responsible for the security of the Port.”
The handover of Hambantota port to China sparked several protests in the South, both in public and parliament.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
