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China denies new naval base in Sri Lanka, says it's purely commercial
China criticized the London Times article that said the Hambatota harbour which China is helping Sri Lanka to build as a refueling and docking station for Chinas navy as distortion of facts. China categorically called the Hambantota Port project as normal commercial activity despite how it is described by Londons Murdoch owned newspaper. Any attempt to distort the facts would be invalid, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu in a statement issued in Beijing. He was commenting on a report by the Times of London, which said in report published on May 2 that China was building a port in south Sri Lanka as a refueling and docking station for its navy. Well, we had tons of chances to help Sri Lanka, but all the West was interested in was harping on human rights and sending money to the Tamil Tigers. Can't blame the Lankans for inviting in the Chinese. The base will be a part of their "string of pearls" across the Indian Ocean to protect their supply lines from the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal. The spokesman said Chinas relationship with Sri Lanka is based on the five principles of peaceful co-existence. He described establishing social stability , economic development and national reconciliation as fundamental Sri Lankan aspirations. The Chinese will pay good money for their naval base, and the Sri Lankans will be happy to build it for them. It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Hambantota Port project is a major development scheme started by the present government with the target of improving the island nations shiping, transshipping , ship building that would simultaneously beef up trade facilities also at Colombo. Posted by: gromky 2009-05-17 |
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