China donated 2,470 food packages worth 16 million rupees ($55,172 at 1$ = 290) to the people who are affected by the recent floods in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province, where India has been eyeing port and energy deals.
China’s latest move comes weeks after Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong went to the island nation’s North and made some similar donations.
“We hope that with our assistance, you can overcome these challenges and restore normal life as soon as possible,” Zhenhong said while addressing the people when he visited on Sunday (29).
Since election of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in September, Chinese Ambassador has been frequently visiting Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces, which have been dominated by Indian projects.
Tamils in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces are more close to India’s Southern state of Tamil Nadu due to similarity in the language and culture, analysts say.
However, China has been eyeing for more projects and giving handouts for people in the Northern and Eastern provinces in the recent past.
“Our support for the Sri Lankan people, especially the people of the Eastern Province, has never ceased. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China donated a large number of Sinopharm vaccines to Sri Lanka, with a special focus on the Tamil people in the Northern and Eastern regions, saving countless lives of the Sri Lankan people,” Zhenhong said.
“When Sri Lanka suffered from severe flooding, China extended a helping hand in a timely manner, providing a batch of Emergency Humanitarian Materials worth 400 million rupees and making a donation of 30 million rupees (USD100,000) as emergency flood relief to the Sri Lankan government with an aim of assisting those affected.”
The Chinese ambassador’s visit also comes two weeks ahead of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official visit in the third week of January.
Government officials have said India has protested against some energy projects given to China in the island nation’s North in the past. Later, they were cancelled and India agreed to fund them under grants.
India has been eyeing Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee port, the third largest natural port in the world and some other projects in the East including a solar power project and oil tank farm project.