A Study On China-sri Lanka Relations From The Perspective Of The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

In October 2013,President Xi Jinping proposed the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative in Indonesia.The 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road is a modern version of the ancient Maritime Silk Road with multi-dimensional implications.As for promoting growth,the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative contributes to the outbound development of China,which brings mutual benefit and win-win results for China and countries along the route.Meanwhile,the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road has profound sea power implications,because it helps to accelerate the pace of building China into a maritime power,and more importantly,it deepens shared understanding of the maritime order between China and coastal states on the basis of economic cooperation.By evoking common historical memories,the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative is conducive to building a favorable national image,providing public goods and fostering a new mode of cooperation between states,which have greatly enhanced China�s soft power.China-India and China-Pakistan relations have always been top priorities in China�s traditional foreign policy in South Asia.Although China-Sri Lanka relationship is also important,it is outshined by the two afore-mentioned pairs of relations.The proposal of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative has raised the importance of Sri Lanka,an Indian Ocean island nation.Sri Lanka is a strategic hub in the Indian Ocean connecting Asia,Africa and Europe through sea routes.Therefore,Sri Lanka is a key node country along the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road with increasing strategic influence on China�s economy,politics and diplomacy.After the proposition of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative,China has laid sound foundations for deeper cooperation between the two countries through equal and mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation,diplomatic exchanges between heads of state,strengthened people-to-people ties and soft power buildup.Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka in 1957,China-Sri Lanka relations has been seen as a model for countries with different social systems achieving peaceful coexistence,mutual benefit and win-win results.Economic and trade ties based on equality and mutual benefit is the main theme in the development of China-Sri Lanka relations.Sri Lanka is also more inclined to seek China�s assistance and conducting mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with China in its consideration of China�s policies.With the introduction of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative,Sri Lanka realized that it was a major opportunity for its national reconstruction and development,and the Sri Lankan government expressed active response to this initiative.It is fair to say that Sri Lanka has been consistent in seeking tangible development benefits in its policy towards China.Besides,Sri Lanka is also aware that its important geographical position and cooperation with China are inevitable concerns for the U.S.,India and Japan.Therefore,Sri Lanka believes that it can maximize its own development benefits by using China in its balancing diplomacy.It is a new change in Sri Lanka�s consideration of its policies towards China.Under the theme,this paper consists of six chapters apart from an introduction and a conclusion.Chapter One explores the multi-dimensional implications of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative,which are epitomized on development,sea power and soft power.Chapter Two explains China�s considerations on its foreign policies towards Sri Lanka under the guidance of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative.They are manifested in China�s three-layered understanding of its relations with Sri Lanka and China�s major concerns over Sri Lanka�s diplomacy.This chapter makes analyses through case studies based on China�s investment projects in Sri Lanka such as the Colombo Port City Development Project and the Hambantota Port Project.Chapter Three expounds Sri Lanka�s thinking on its foreign policies towards China.It reviews the evolution of Sri Lanka�s policies towards China,describes Sri Lanka�s perception of the Initiative,and at last makes analyses of Sri Lanka�s considerations on its policies towards China,such as pursuing tangible development interests,seeking China�s diplomatic and security support,and leveraging China in its balancing diplomacy.Chapter Four clarifies the external risks and challenges facing China-Sri Lanka relations from the perspective of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative,including those from India,the U.S.and Japan.Due to geographical proximity and the long-standing cultural and historical relationship between Sri Lanka and India,India regards Sri Lanka as an important part of its national security.Compared with the U.S.and Japan,India enjoys stronger influence in Sri Lanka and thus it�s more concerned about China-Sri Lanka relations.Therefore,India represents the biggest challenge which may affect the development of China-Sri Lanka relations.Chapter Five elaborates on the favorable conditions and major challenges that Sri Lanka�s mode of diplomatic behavior brings to China-Sri Lanka relations.Sri Lanka boasts a long-standing tradition of non-aligned diplomatic strategy.The balancing diplomacy among great powers implemented by the current Sirisena government is a continuation of its non-aligned diplomacy.As a small country,Sri Lanka is inherently faced with security and economic vulnerabilities.To alleviate these vulnerabilities,Sri Lanka is more inclined to adopt multilateral diplomacy and expertise diplomacy.Sri Lanka�s security strategy also gives profound expression to its own identity as a small country and the country tends to choose multi-faceted cooperation in its development strategy.Favorable conditions include the smooth global acceptance of the Belt and Road Initiative,long-term mutual support of each other on diplomacy and China�s investment and construction in Sri Lanka which well serves its national development interests.China-Sri Lanka relations face risks and challenges from both the third party and the domestic situation of Sri Lanka.Chapter Six studies the prospect of China-Sri Lanka relations as well as China�s coping strategies through the lens of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative.The Initiative brings concrete benefits to Sri Lanka.To pursue its own interests,Sri Lanka continuously deepens its economic and trade cooperation with China.However,that cooperation is also limited due to the existence of challenges.This situation means that China-Sri Lanka relations will not fluctuate radically,nor will it enjoy big progress.To achieve better development of China-Sri Lanka relations,we need to make specific analyses of factors that affect this relationship and propose practical resolutions.