Highlights
- Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong reached Adams Bridge with heavy security
- Adams Bridge or Ram Setu reached between the security of Sri Lankan Navy and Army
- China wants to strengthen its roots in Sri Lanka on the pretext of construction and investment
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong on Friday visited the Adams Bridge amid heavy security. The Chinese ambassador was on a two-day goodwill visit to the country’s Tamil-majority northern province. The ambassador was escorted to Adams Bridge amid the security of members of the Sri Lankan Navy and Army. Adams Bridge or Rama Setu is located between the islands of Mannar near Rameshwaram in north-western Sri Lanka and off the southern coast of India.
Built by a chain of rocks, this bridge is 48 km long and separates the Gulf of Mannar from the Palk Strait. The Ambassador visited the site of Adams Bridge, which is located about 17 miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. This was the first visit by a Chinese ambassador to the northern Jaffna peninsula in recent days. Earlier, after strong opposition from India, China had stopped the construction of the hybrid energy system project in Sri Lanka.
China taking business roots in Sri Lanka
These hybrid energy systems were to be built on 3 northern islands which are very close to India. Earlier in January, India had lodged a protest against the award of a contract from Sri Lanka to a Chinese company to build a solar power plant. Sri Lanka has recently awarded the contract for the construction of East Container Depot at Colombo port to a Chinese company. Sri Lanka had earlier given the contract to build this container depot to India and Japan.
Sri Lanka taking fertilizer from India
Sri Lanka made an agreement to get fertilizer from India instead of China. India also supplied fertilizers to Sri Lanka immediately. In fact, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government banned the use of chemical fertilizers in an effort to turn Sri Lanka into the world’s first completely organic farming country. Soon after this, the Sri Lankan government signed an agreement with China’s organic fertilizer manufacturer Qingdao Siwin Bio-Tech Group to buy 99000 tonnes of organic fertilizer for about Rs 3700 crore.
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