Sri Lanka values its relationship with China and would like to have a productive relationship with that nation just as it wants to with India, Leader of Opposition, Sajith Premadasa said responding to a question posed to him in an interview with WION TV as to whether Sri Lanka is sinking further into China’s grip through the Belt and Road Initiative.
“Sri Lanka has always strived to have very direct, productive, progressive and constructive relations with all countries. We are a non-aligned country. So, just as much as we value our relationship with India, we also value our relationship with China and the rest of the world,” Mr. Premadasa said.
“We like to have a productive relationship which is of mutual benefit. We see Sri Lanka’s internal national agenda being decided by external factors and as Sri Lankans we don’t like it,” Mr. Premadasa also said.
“Sri Lanka would never ever be keen on being subjugated to any other state or non-state actor. Sri Lanka does not prefer international interference whether it is from a political bloc or an individual nation state. Sri Lanka wants to stand up on its feet and has the self-discipline, the capability and the strength to stand up on its feet,” he noted.
Expressing his view on Sri Lanka joining the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative – a new global infrastructure investment of USD 40 trillion undertaken by the G7 countries, Mr. Premadasa said Sri Lanka should benefit from such positive proposals.
“Sri Lanka should benefit from such positive proposals which promote the country’s prosperity and development if obtaining such assistance improves Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic indicators such as employment, growth rate, balanced budgets and trade surplus,” Mr. Premadasa also said.
