Port City ‘not a threat’ to India but opportunity for all to make money: Ranil

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said his government has addressed India’s security concerns over the newly-modified US$ 1.5 billion Colombo Port City project.

Addressing a press conference in Beijing before wrapping up his four-day visit to China, the Prime Minister ruled out chances of an India-China clash to gain control of the Indian Ocean.

“There is no question of a security problem. The Indian security issues have been addressed by us. There will be further discussions with India,” PTI quoted Wickremesinghe as saying.

Responding to media queries about US$ 8 billion Chinese investments including the Port City project made during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime, which sparked off security concerns in India, the Premier said Sri Lanka has discussed the concerns with India and was prepared to discuss further.”Port city and Megapolis is not a threat to anyone. It’s an opportunity for everyone to make money,” he said.

He also said the US$ 1.5 billion Port City project which was halted for over a year by the government had been changed with several key factors altered.

“We found many shortcomings in many of the (foreign funded) projects but we did not reject them. We modified and corrected them. We have gone ahead. One is the Port city,” he said.

His government has changed ownership of the contract with the state-owned Chinese firm to build the 583-acre city on reclaimed land. Under the previous contract, the Chinese company was due to get 20 hectares of land on freehold basis, which has been changed to a 99-year lease.

“Now the government in Sri Lanka, like the government in China does not believe in transferring freehold land. But we will give 99-year lease,” he said.

Also, the Port City will be turned into a financial and business hub in the Indian Ocean. “We selected port city to be the location. So from land filled real estate is becoming a financial hub,” he said.

On the US$ 125 million compensation demanded by the Chinese firm for one year, he said now that project has been made a financial hub, the company may have to pay money to Sri Lanka, but did not elaborate.

“We can talk and settle. There is not too much of a problem,” he said.

In a politically significant statement, Wickremesinghe said he has embarked on the China visit after holding talks with former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chandrika Kumaratunga to build consensus.

“I had discussions with Rajapaksa a few days before we came. We briefed him on issues we were to discuss in China. He was for it. I also discussed matters with Kumaratunga, because we want to build consensus on the long-term arrangement with China,” he said.

Speaking about the likelihood of a Chinese military presence in Lanka, the Premier said the Chinese have not asked for any military base in Sri Lanka.

“We are going to have further military co-operation through training. They offered an offshore patrol vessel (OPV),” he said, adding that India is also building two vessels for Sri Lanka.

About the likelihood of India-China clash in the Indian Ocean, Wickremesinghe said the Ocean should be governed by law of the sea principles with freedom of navigation.

“Sri Lanka is committed to freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

“India has a naval presence as part of anti-piracy operation. China is also setting up base in Djibouti. Many countries are setting up bases. But these are part of UN agreements in anti-piracy operations. As it stands now, we cannot see a major clash or a threat taking place in the Indian Ocean because the Chinese military presence is one that is connected with the anti- piracy operations,” Wickremesinghe said.

“As far as Sri Lanka is concerned we are the oldest state in SAARC. We are friendly with everyone. We have decided and taken steps so that none of our SAARC neighbours are threatened in anyway.”

On Sri Lanka backing China’s Maritime Silk Road project which is not endorsed by India over apprehensions of Chinese domination in the Indian Ocean, he said: “Our policy is to make Sri Lanka the hub of the Indian Ocean. We can accommodate both the Silk Road and Make in India.”

He said he is in talks with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for cooperation between Sri Lankan ports and the Visakhapatnam port. Once the planned Economic and Technology agreement with India comes into effect, the cooperation will be finalised, he said.

“The Chinese are already investing in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. We will be linked up with Mumbai. So there will be connectivity,” he said.

About speculation that Sri Lanka will hand over the Hambantota port project to China, he said Hambantota development is not Chinese but Sri Lankan development.

“Anyone can come and develop in the areas,” he said. “As far as the operations of the port and airport are concerned, the state will be regulator and there will be separate independent operators. We will have a stake in operations both in operations in the airport and in the Hambantota harbor.”

He said the Sri Lankan Navy will shift its base from Galle to Hambantota. “India itself is interested in developing more harbors in Sri Lanka,” he said.