Japan offers to boost Sri Lanka security as China makes inroads
Japan has pledged to help strengthen Sri Lanka's maritime security, authorities said on 21 August, in a new sign of efforts to counter China's strategic grip on the Indian Ocean island.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena thanked Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera for donating two coast guard patrol craft costing over $11 million in total, his office said in a statement after talks in Colombo.
The statement said: ‘Attention has been drawn to further strengthening maritime security cooperation between Japan and Sri Lanka.’
The visit came a week after the US State Department gave $39 million to strengthen the island's naval capabilities.
Sirisena said he was happy that Onodera, the first Japanese defence minister to visit, was travelling to two strategic ports on the island.
Onodera will visit Hambantota, which Colombo in December 2017 leased to a Chinese state-owned company for 99 years.
The government said it was forced to lease the port for $1.1 billion because it could not service loans from Beijing to build the white-elephant facility agreed by former President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Hambantota, 230kms from Colombo, straddles the world's busiest east-west shipping route and gives China a foothold in a region long dominated by India.
The Japanese minister will also visit Trincomalee, a natural harbour that was the target of Japanese bombing during World War II.
China has edged out Japan as a key funder of ports and other projects in the island in recent years. Sri Lanka has become a key link in its ambitious ‘Belt and Road’ international infrastructure initiative. China has also vowed to keep providing financial help to Sri Lanka.
The International Monetary Fund, which bailed out Sri Lanka in 2016 with a $1.5 billion loan, has warned Colombo over its debt.
More from Defence Notes
-
How UAE defence giant EDGE Group plans to double its exports
The UAE defence conglomerate has put an aggressive strategy in place to increase its share of exports while navigating the growing gap between East and West.
-
US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
-
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.