China defends docking of its subs in Lanka

Beijing, March 2

China today defended the docking of its submarines at Colombo port as well as the high interests rates charged for its loans asserting that these were done at the insistence of the previous government, brushing aside concerns expressed by new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister.

“We had the consent of the Sri Lanka side in advance,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told mediapersons responding to Mangala Samaraweera’s comments that the new government will not permit the docking of Chinese submarines.

After reports that one of the Chinese submarines docked at the Colombo port during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year, the new Sri Lankan government said it will not permit such dockings. — PTI