President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reiterated that there is no military agreement between China and Sri Lanka, in a recent interview with international broadcaster, FRANCE 24.
Participating in the interview on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, President Wickremesinghe ruled out any future such agreements as well.
Stating that so far there has been no Chinese military base in Sri Lanka, the President pointed out that there are speculations due to China’s involvement in the Hambantota International Port.
“Speculations are rife as the China Merchants Port Company manages the Hambantota Port. The same company also operates at the Colombo Port which is frequented by warships. However, no complaints are raised on this matter,” he said.
“We have no military agreements with China. There won’t be any military agreements in the future as well. I also don’t believe that China enters into such agreements,” he said.
President Wickremesinghe further emphasized that Sri Lanka was a neutral country. “We also emphasize the fact that we cannot Sri Lanka to be used as a base for any threats against India,” he added.
Interview: https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-interview/20230626-sri-lankan-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-we-have-no-military-agreement-with-china (NewsWire)