Sri Lanka’s clear message to China; “Will not allow its base for threats against India”

Jun 28, 2023

New Delhi, June 28 (ANI): Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has spoken about the presence of Chinese Military in the country. Prez Wickremesinghe has said that govt will not allow Sri Lanka to be used as a base for threats against India. In an interview with France 24, Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is a "neutral" country and has no military agreements with China. “So far, there is no military base. There are a lot of speculations about the Hambantota harbour. Although being granted to China Merchants Group, the Sri Lankan government maintains responsibility for its security. We have no military agreements with China. We are a neutral country. We also emphasize on the fact that we cannot allow Sri Lanka to be used as a base for any threats against India,” Ranil Wickremesinghe said in an interview with France 24. India has provided constant support to Sri Lanka as it was facing acute economic and financial crisis. In January this year, India extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help the neighbouring island nation. In February 2022 , India also signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to supply petroleum products worth USD 500 million.