Sri Lanka wants its ‘debt trap’ Hambantota port back. But will China listen?
- Critics view the deal as a symbol of the problems associated with Chinese lending and the Belt and Road Initiative, but Beijing so far shows little sign of changing its mind
- Newly elected President Gotabya Rajapaksa promised on the campaign trail to revisit the agreement, but observers say he will need to offer China something else in return
Sri Lanka’s new government wants China to hand back a port it was given two years ago to cover its debts – but its chances of success appear slim.
The port, located at the heart of a busy shipping route in southern Sri Lanka, has been held up by critics as a symbol of the worst aspects of China’s “debt trap diplomacy” with many locals regarding it as a sign of subordination to Beijing.
“The perfect circumstance is a return to the norm,” Ajith Nivard Cabraal, a former central bank governor under Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is now serving as prime minister.
“We pay back the loan in due course in the way that we had originally agreed without any disturbance at all.”
But so far Beijing has given no indication that it will rethink its plans – instead suggesting that development plans for the port should be speeded up.