WASHINGTON, DC -China’s role in Sri Lanka’s port infrastructure has been cited in a US Senate hearing as a cautionary example of Beijing’s overseas financing practices, with lawmakers warning that such projects can undermine sovereignty and strategic independence in the Indo-Pacific.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on December 12, Chairman Jim Risch described China’s involvement in Sri Lanka as ‘a poster child around the world for why people shouldn’t do business with China’, referring to Beijing’s financing of major port projects.

The White House nominee for US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Eric Meyer, said Washington would support Colombo in asserting control over sensitive infrastructure and pursuing transparent partnerships.

‘We have a very open and transparent relationship with Sri Lanka, and bilateral relationships should be open and transparent,’ Meyer said. ‘If I’m confirmed, I look forward to working with the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that they assert their sovereignty, and that includes over ports.’

Risch pressed Meyer on whether Sri Lanka had drawn lessons from its experience with Chinese financing.

‘They hooked Sri Lanka with the money,’ Risch said.

Meyer responded that Sri Lanka has shown interest in closer ties with the United States and stressed the importance of economic reform.

‘Sri Lanka has expressed interest in working closer with the United States,’ he said, adding that Washington has encouraged Colombo to continue its IMF-backed programme because ‘economic sovereignty and independence are important as well’.

Meyer said sustained reforms could unlock new investment opportunities.

‘If they can stick to their reforms, this will also create opportunities for increased US investment,’ he said.

The nominee highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

‘Sri Lanka sits astride some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean,’ Meyer said, noting that nearly two-thirds of the world’s seaborne crude oil transits nearby.

He also pointed to the Port of Colombo, which he said is poised to expand capacity in the coming year, as a key economic asset.

Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis and the subsequent leasing of the Chinese-built Hambantota port have drawn sustained scrutiny from the United States and regional powers, including India. (IANS)

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