Sri Lanka Collapse – China Takeover?

Here’s a fascinating development that illustrates the brilliance of China’s expansionistic plans.  You may recall that in 2018 China negotiated a 99 year lease for the Sri Lanka port of Hambantota (see, “China Seizes Sri Lanka Port”).

 

Now, a few years later, Sri Lanka is apparently in the midst of total collapse and anarchy.

 

Sri Lanka is in the middle of a full-scale collapse after the president announced the nation is “bankrupt,” having run out of both money and energy.[1]

 

How did this occur?

 

Sri Lanka’s government has been implementing ESG policies (environment, social, and governance) for years, following the lead of the World Economic Forum. That includes banning agrochemicals such as fertilizers in an effort to lower nitrogen emissions. Flowery tales of “organic” farming and saving the planet have now been replaced with horror, as the island nation’s top exports have been laid to waste. People are starving, they can’t get gas or electricity, and none of the globalists who used Sri Lanka as a testbed for their green fantasies are coming to help.[1]

 

I won’t go any further than that with the hows and whys since this is a naval website.  You can investigate the causes on your own, if you’re interested.

 

What this means is that the one organization on Sri Lanka that will continue to function and function quite well is … yes … the Chinese establishment at Hambantota.  In fact, if Sri Lanka totally collapses, this would give China the immediate presence and access to implement life-saving measures for the populace - in exchange for greater access, control, and dependence of the people on China, of course.  This would allow a ‘soft’ takeover of the country.  

Alternatively (or in combination), China could opt to declare martial law over the entire country, in the name of protecting Chinese ‘civilians’ in the country.  Either way, China could wind up owning the country, if they so choose.

 

I can’t imagine that China isn’t gleefully rubbing their hands together at this development.  What is the US doing while this is happening?  Nothing that I’m aware of.

 

You’ve got to acknowledge brilliance when you see it.  China is on the verge of ‘conquering’ an entire strategically vital country without firing a shot and may even be perceived as saviors! 

 

 

 

Note:  Ref [2] has a nice write up about the Sri Lanka state of affairs.

 

 

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[1]Redstate website, “WATCH: Protesters Storm Presidential Palace in Sri Lanka After Climate Hysteria Destroys the Nation”, Bonchie, 9-Jul-2022,

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2022/07/09/watch-protesters-storm-presidential-palace-in-sri-lanka-after-climate-hysteria-destroys-the-nation-n591691

 

[2]https://www.aidiaasia.org/research-article/will-hambantota-port-become-a-chinese-military-base

Navy Interaction With Sri Lanka

I want to take any opportunity I can to point out positive events involving the Navy and one such event occurred recently off Sri Lanka when the carrier Stennis conducted resupply from Bandaranaike International Airport near Colombo.

From a Navy article,

The cargo transfer conducted in January contributed approximately 25 million Sri Lankan rupees to the local economy, supporting local businesses.

“Sri Lanka’s leaders have outlined their vision for the country’s regional engagement that reflects its location at the nexus of the Indo-Pacific and seizes the opportunities that this unique position presents,” said U.S. Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz. “We are happy to support this vision through a range of mutually beneficial initiatives, such as contracting Sri Lankan services and goods to support U.S. military and commercial vessels that often transit the Indo-Pacific’s busy sea lanes.” (1)

Sri Lanka’s location in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of India makes it strategically important and, as we noted previously, China has established a major port in Sri Lanka (see, “China Seizes Sri LankaPort”).  Anything we can do to counter that is a welcome development even if we’re playing catch-up.  We need to do much more and not just militarily.  Solidifying relations with Sri Lanka should be a major geopolitical objective. 

Good job, Navy.  Keep it up.

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(1)https://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/110650

China Seizes Sri Lanka Port

China recently completed another master stroke in its war for global domination.  They obtained complete rights to the Hambantota port and 15,000 surrounding acres on Sri Lanka which is just off the southern tip of India. (1)  Take a look at the map below and you’ll see that such a port provides control over the entrance to the entire Indochina region, access to the Bay of Bengal, and influence over a large chunk of the Indian Ocean.  Looking longer term, this also gives China a direct threat against India, down the road.  This is the very definition of a strategic port.

Make no mistake, this was a military seizure, pure and simple, conducted via non-kinetic means.

Chinese Port In Sri Lanka

ComNavOps tips his hat to the Chinese for yet another brilliant move and, just like the annexation of the East/South China Seas, it was accomplished without bloodshed or even significant protest!

Using nothing but economic coercion, bribery, intimidation, and debt manipulation China forced Sri Lanka to hand over the rights to the Hambantota port for a period of 99 years.  Of course, by then, the entire region will belong to China and the lease terms won’t matter.

The unethical, unfair, and illegal means China used to accomplish this are detailed in a New York Times website article and it makes for fascinating reading as well as an object lesson on the conduct of non-kinetic warfare. (2)

Yes, China has promised not to use the port for military purposes but they made the same promise about the illegal artificial islands in the South China Sea.  Their word is worthless.  With 100% certainty, they will militarize the port.  As the NY Times notes,

“Sri Lankan officials are quick to point out that the agreement explicitly rules out China’s military use of the site. But others also note that Sri Lanka’s government, still heavily indebted to China, could be pressured to allow it.” (2)

The US has got to wake up and start engaging in this war or we’re going to lose without every taking any action.  We can start by taking a lesson from the Chinese.  One of the strategic weaknesses for the US in the Pacific/China theatre is the lack of basing.  Well, take a look at the IndoChina map below.  There are endless opportunities for US basing in the region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.  We just need to start engaging diplomatically, economically, politically, culturally, and any other way we can with these countries.  We don’t need to, and absolutely should not, stoop to the illegal and unethical means that China does but we do need to engage. 

Basing Opportunities Around The South China Sea

If you don’t think China is bent on global domination then take a look at the New York Times map below of Chinese financed ports around the world.  If it doesn’t scare you, then you’re Chinese.  They've seized the East and South China Seas and are in the process of seizing Africa.

Chinese Ports Around the World

We are years late, already, to this war but better late than never.  We need to wake up, sound the alarm, and start fighting every way we can.

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(1)The Diplomat website, “Sri Lanka Formally Hands Over Hambantota Port to Chinese Firms on 99-Year Lease”, Ankit Panda, 11-Dec-2017,

https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/sri-lanka-formally-hands-over-hambantota-port-to-chinese-firms-on-99-year-lease/

(2)New York Times website, “How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough Up a Port”, Maria Abi-Habib, 25-Jun-2018,

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/world/asia/china-sri-lanka-port.html