2024-03-16 02:44:00
Rameswaram: Sri Lankan Defense Minister Premita Bandara Tennakone has denied the information released by US intelligence agencies that there is an attempt to establish a Chinese military base in Sri Lanka.
China, which is trying to maintain its dominance in the Indian Ocean area, during the Rajapaksa regime, gave Sri Lanka a loan of 307 million US dollars for the construction of the Hambantota port in the first phase and 757 million dollars for the expansion of the port in the 2nd phase. Later, using the debt burden, it secured a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is also said to be due to its unlimited debt from China. In this case, US intelligence agencies have said that China is planning to set up a military base in Sri Lanka.
In this regard, Sri Lankan Defense Minister Premitabandara told the press in South Corner Colombo yesterday, “There is no negotiation with any country including China regarding the establishment of a military base within Sri Lankan territory. The information released by the US intelligence agencies is wrong. “We will not allow any country to set up its military base within Sri Lanka under any circumstances,” he said.
#Chinese #military #base #Sri #Lanka #Minister #Premita #Bandara #Thennakone #denial