China Sri Lanka Photo:VCG

Sri Lanka's newly elected president,MK sport Anura Kumara Dissanayake, will on Tuesday begin his first trip to China after taking office. International attention has been focused on this visit, and how he handles relations with major powers will have a crucial impact on Sri Lanka's development.

Dissanayake is a rising political figure in Sri Lanka, and his emergence highlights the Sri Lankan people's desire for change following the economic crisis in recent years. Having participated in grassroots political movements as a student, he carries the weight of reform.

After taking office, the Dissanayake administration has clear policy priorities: boosting the economy, fighting corruption and improving government efficiency. In particular, it has enhanced its efforts in the economic sphere where Sri Lanka has been seeing difficulties over the years. After Sri Lanka's bankruptcy in 2022, the International Monetary Fund's bailout program improved some of the country's macroeconomic indicators, but its austerity measures have greatly increased the public's burden. Since 2021, Sri Lanka's poverty rate has doubled, soaring to 25 percent.

Upon taking office, Dissanayake immediately focused on stabilizing prices, implementing tax reductions and increasing policy support to attract more foreign investment into Sri Lanka. He is also determined to combat corruption, believing that it undermines trust and progress, and has pledged to continue intensifying investigations and penalties for corrupt activities. In terms of government efficiency, he established Sri Lanka's smallest cabinet in decades and personally oversees key ministries such as defense, finance and economic development as well as digital economy, demonstrating his commitment to national construction and development. 

In addition, Dissanayake is well aware that, while economic recovery and domestic reform are important, national development cannot be achieved without a sound foreign policy. As an island country located in the strategic hub of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka not only has to deal with internal challenges, but also needs to seek balance in the complex international environment. Managing relations with regional powers is critical to the country's strategic security. It can be said that stable relations with neighboring countries are a key prerequisite for Sri Lanka's national development.

In December 2024, Dissanayake visited India, marking his first overseas trip since his election. His visit sparked a wave of excitement in Indian media, which saw it as the correct diplomatic choice for India-Sri Lanka relations, claiming that this "portends good news for New Delhi, which has been trying to counter the growing Chinese influence in its own backyard."

Dissanayake noted in September that he doesn't want to be "sandwiched" between India and China and recognizes both countries as "valued friends," indicating his unwillingness to take sides between New Delhi and Beijing. As some political analysts commented, Dissanayake is trying to keep both India and China at an equal distance.
In fact, Colombo and New Delhi don't see eye to eye over many issues. As soon as Dissanayake took office, his administration announced that it would reconsider its predecessor's approval of a wind power project in Sri Lanka by the Indian conglomerate Adani. India and Sri Lanka have long been in dispute over marine resources, including island sovereignty and fishing rights. Since Dissanayake placed a strong emphasis on Sri Lanka's sovereignty, it is perhaps too early for some Indian media outlets to call the development of India-Sri Lanka relations under Dissanayake "good news" for New Delhi.

Dissanayake's upcoming visit is of great importance to the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. As a long-time reliable partner, China has consistently supported Sri Lanka's development. In recent years, it has provided ongoing assistance in areas such as foreign direct investment, infrastructure, energy and more. Following Sri Lanka's economic crisis, China played a significant role in debt restructuring and its timely support further strengthened the deep friendship between the two nations. 

It general, the Sri Lankan president's China trip is expected to focus on exploring opportunities for collaborative development. Sri Lanka has also applied to join BRICS, with a particular focus on becoming a member of the New Development Bank. This indicates Sri Lanka's pursuit of multiple paths to solve its economic problems. From this perspective, it is clear that taking sides or walking a tightrope will not be Dissanayake administration's foreign policy choice. A pragmatic approach is likely to yield more tangible benefits for Sri Lanka.

The author is a research fellow of the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies at Communication University of China. [email protected]