The crucial Aug. 17 parliamentary election
in Sri Lanka - what increasingly looks like a "swing state" in the
sharpening geopolitics of the Indian Ocean region -- was a close contest,
giving no party an absolute majority and thus ensuring the next government will
be coalition-based. But in one respect, the poll outcome was decisive: By thwarting
pro-China ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa's political comeback bid, it
represented a defeat for Chinese diplomacy.
Sri Lanka, located virtually at the
center of the Indian Ocean, straddles some of the world's busiest sea lanes.
Beijing has already pumped billions of dollars into this small, strategically
located island-nation, seeking to turn it into a pivot of its "Maritime
Silk Road" to Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The Maritime Silk Road
is the new name for China's strategy of building a so-called "string of
pearls" along vital Indian Ocean shipping routes. Sri Lanka -- where China
has already built the large Hambantota port -- is central to the Maritime Silk
Road initiative.
The Chinese diplomatic drive in Sri
Lanka, however, faces an uncertain future following two setbacks this year. The
first came in January, with the shock defeat of Rajapaksa the first time
around, to one-time ally Maithripala Sirisena in the presidential contest.
Rajapaksa, during his nearly decade-long rule marked by increasing
authoritarianism and accusations of nepotism and corruption, cozied up to
China, awarding Beijing major contracts designed to make his country a key stop
on the Chinese nautical "road."
On Sri Lanka's
terms
When Sirisena won the presidency, however, he suspended
the Chinese construction of a $1.4 billion, Dubai-style city on reclaimed land
off Colombo, the capital. Several other Chinese projects have also been put off
or delayed as Sirisena has ordered investigations into corruption and environmental
breaches. Investigations are also underway into an alleged $1.1 million bribe
paid by a Chinese state-run company to Rajapaksa's failed presidential
re-election campaign and the alleged role of his two brothers and his wife in
misappropriating public funds. Nikkei Asian Review
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