Sino–Sri Lankan relations and their impact on India
| Author | Ishan Jain |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/2057891121997566 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | South Asian Politics |
Sino–Sri Lankan relations
and their impact on India
Ishan Jain
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India
Abstract
This article aims to understand the development of the Sino–Sri Lankan relationship from ancient
to contemporary times and its overall impact on the Indo–Sri Lankan relationship and on India as a
leader in the South Asian region. China has been investing heavily in Sri Lanka and several other
South Asian countries in the name of economic development and upliftment. It has formed dip-
lomatic ties with Sri Lanka and has provided immense economic, military and other forms of
assistance and has reduced India’s involvement. The building of the Maritime Silk Route and the
Belt and Road Initiative have been dream projects for China, and so the article analyses the
assistance provided in terms of strategy that the Chinese may be planning. Based on the facts and
evidence provided, the article will end on a scenario that could most likely take place based on the
trajectory of the events and relationships.
Keywords
assistance, China, diplomacy, economy, India, security, Sri Lanka
Introduction
Sri Lanka and China have shared a relationship since ancient times. Sri Lanka, also known as the
‘pearl’ of the Indian Ocean, lies in a geographical location which gave it a tremendous strategic
advantage as mid-way between Rome and Beijing on the ancient Maritime Silk Route. After Sri
Lankan independence in 1948, both countries re-est ablished their modern diplomatic ties and
developed common interests in the field of bilateral trade, investment and collaboration. Since
then, China has invested in Sri Lanka economically and militarily. It gave its complete support
during the Sri Lankan Civil War and also defended Sri Lanka against the censure of international
organizations. The relationship between the two Asian countries seems to be one of growth and
development when viewed on the surface.
Corresponding author:
Ishan Jain, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Tamil Nadu, Chennai,
600036, India.
Email: contact.ishanjain@gmail.com
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
ªThe Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/2057891121997566
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
2022, Vol. 7(4) 922–943
South Asian Politics
India and Sri Lanka have had strong ties since ancient times as well. Both countries have
shared a bond on cultural, religious, intellectual and linguistic matters. Trade and investment
have been stable, and there is a similar contribution in culture, defence and education. The two
nations share a good understanding on international issues, and a significantnumberofprojects
for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and burdened segments of the populace in Sri Lanka
have aided in building a stronger bond between the two nations (Ministry of External Affairs,
2019). The problem of the Tamils of Indian origin has always persisted, but it heightened to the
extent of civil war in Sri Lanka which came to an end in 2009. India was openly against the
human rights violations during the civil war, which made Sri Lanka stray away from India and
lean towards China.
South Asia is being considered as a region for contention and competition between India and
China, and the latter has been trying to increase its political and economic impact there. Both India
and China have ambitions to be the regional hegemon. So it becomes important to analyse the
trajectory of the Sino–Sri Lankan relationship and the impact it will have on India on a long-term
basis. India has used bi- and multi-lateral strategies, in contrast to China which has focused more
on bilateral relationships to establish itself as a leader in the South Asian region.
Ancient Sino–Ceylon relationship
Ever since ancient times, Ceylon (Sri Lanka’s name until 1971) and China have had a strong
relationship. There existed trade and diplomatic ties, and Buddhist monks and nuns used to travel
between both countries. A vital record is of the Chinese monk Fa-Hsien, who started his travel in
399 AD and sojourned two years in Sri Lanka to study Buddhism. A rock named Pahiyan-gala or
Fa-Hsien rock is found to this day in the Kalutara district in the southwest of the country (Wick-
ramasinghe, 2005). His two-year travelogue portrayed the Buddhist treasures in the nation, and his
Chinese interpretation of Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist writings were well known (Mendis, 2017).
Marco Polo was sent by Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, to Sri Lanka in 1284 and
1293 with the intent to take the sacred tooth relics of the Buddha back to China. The common
Buddhist culture in both countries and commercial and political considerations established a strong
foundation. Between 19 BC and 1459 AD, at least 27 Sri Lankan diplomatic missions were sent to
China (Wickramasinghe, 2005).
Trade relations between the two countries had existed from as far back as the 1st century AD.
Trading ships from various parts of the world flocked to the ancient Sri Lankan port of Mantota
where several archaeological findings have been excavated. A variety of goods were imported
from China including, gold, silver and copper coins, coloured satin material, coloured silk gauzes
and white porcelain ware (Sastri, 1972). A variety of goods were exported from Sri Lanka as well,
which included gems, pearls, spices, ivory, muslin and elephants. At various archaeological exca-
vation sites, Chinese ceramics and earthenware have been found that are believed to have been
imported from the 1st up to the 15th century AD (Sudha rmawathie, 2017). In the early 15th
century, Unlo, Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, sent Cheng-Ho, a commander of the Chinese
expeditionary fleet, to survey China’s trade affairs in the Indian Ocean. He visited Ceylon with
the intention of establishing trade relationships with the country, which is confirmed by the Tri-
Lingual (Chinese, Persian and Tamil) slab inscription installed in Galle (Zeylanica, 1993).
During the Ming Dynasty, Admiral Zheng-He’s fleet entered Sri Lanka and engaged in the
Ming–Kotte War that took place in 1410. Zheng-He’s aim was to establish Chinese superiority and
stability over the maritime routes in the waters around Ceylon and Southern India. The Chinese
923
Jain
To continue reading
Request your trial