The Sri Lankan Collapse: Colombo Must Get Its Act Straight and Keep The China Card on a Leash
News 18India’s southern neighbour Sri Lanka is in a crippling financial crisis, one that it has not seen since its independence. Then in April 2021, the Sri Lankan government experimented with the food security of the nation and banned imports of chemical fertilisers to become the world’s first nation to farm organic only. Sri Lanka fell hard into the Chinese debt trap, and the dangers of China’s predatory loans were realised globally. Knowing full well that becoming China’s gateway into the Indian Ocean is not a tag to be proud of but to be gravely concerned about, not just because of India’s security concerns, but because Sri Lanka itself is no stranger to Chinese imperialism, the Rajapaksas have still shown a reckless affinity for expensive Chinese loans while expecting to be rescued by India. For India, it’s an opportunity to outpace China’s rising economic influence with growing soft power and perhaps even convince Sri Lanka to make better choices.