ABSTRACT
Being a “time-tested friend” of Sri Lanka, China is one of the major players on the island in many fields. Although formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1957, the intensity of relations between Beijing and Colombo has picked up tremendously only in the last decade. In the present context, the bilateral relations between the two countries have been cast within the broad structure of the “China–Sri Lanka All-round Cooperation Partnership of Sincere Mutual Support and Ever-lasting Friendship” proclaimed in 2005. Sri Lanka is seen as “an important hub on the Maritime Silk Road” by China. In the South Asian context, the island state is a key “pearl in the string” for the Chinese. The Chinese involvement in Sri Lanka ranges from infrastructure development, economic aid, oil exploration, investments, trade and strong diplomatic support to the island state when in need, especially in the wake of human rights accountability issue that emerged after the end of “Eelam War IV”. All these are not without their implications on India’s strategic and economic interests in the region, apart from impacting Colombo–New Delhi ties.
