Soon after it was announced that Wang Junzheng, a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party, would visit Sri Lanka, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Colombo as a special envoy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his visit, Jaishankar announced a USD 450 million relief package for rebuilding areas devastated by the cyclone—an announcement widely seen as a move to outsmart the timing of the Chinese envoy’s visit.
When Anura met the Chinese envoy, he requested Chinese technical assistance to rebuild the railway network damaged by the cyclone. Anura sought this expert support because China has long shown willingness to deploy its technical specialists to countries affected by disasters, and has substantial experience in such post-disaster reconstruction efforts.
However, it was India that provided expert assistance and aid to rebuild the railway system destroyed during the war in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. According to the Railway General Manager, the Indian company that upgraded the Northern railway line has expressed willingness to assist in rebuilding the railway network, now damaged by the cyclone.
How the Sri Lankan government will manage the growing competition between China and India in the country’s post-disaster reconstruction efforts remains unclear.
Meanwhile, media reports say that Foreign Minister Wijitha Herath met with the Chinese Ambassador and requested China’s assistance to install a nationwide electric vehicle charging network in Sri Lanka. The Foreign Minister also stated that the government intends to introduce electric buses into the public transport fleet in the near future.
Sri Lanka currently purchases buses from India, and Indian-manufactured Tata buses are widely used in the country. If China assists in installing electric vehicle charging stations across Sri Lanka, it is unlikely to do so without expectations. As a result, Sri Lanka may eventually need to purchase Chinese electric buses, dealing a blow to Indian bus suppliers. Whether India will tolerate such a development remains uncertain.
