Mike Pompeo condemns China for being a 'predator' in Sri Lanka

The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today the Chinese Communist Party was operating as a "predator" in Sri Lanka, as the top U.S. diplomat kept up the criticism of China on a tour of Asia.

The United States is Sri Lanka's largest export market and a long standing friend. Tomorrow, the US and Sri Lanka mark the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The US assistance to Sri Lanka has been in the form of grants, not loans.

Since Sri Lanka’s independence, the US has given more than US$2 billion in assistance to Colombo.

Pompeo, a West Point distinguished cadet and Harvard graduate, arrived in Sri Lanka from India as part of a four-leg tour aimed at bolstering allies against China's increasing political and military inroads in the region in recent years.

"We see from bad deals, violations of sovereignty and lawlessness on land and sea that the Chinese Communist Party is a predator, and the United States comes in a different way, we come as a friend, and as a partner," Pompeo told a televised news conference in the capital, Colombo before leaving for the Maldives. 

Pompeo is the first Secretary of State to visit the Maldives in nearly three decades.

In contrast to India, which is locked in a military stand-off with China and was the first stop on Pompeo's trip, Sri Lanka is a close ally of Beijing.

Sri Lanka has borrowed heavily from China for various building projects, often on commercial terms.

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said Sri Lanka wanted peace and good relations with all.

"Sri Lanka is a neutral, non-aligned country, committed to peace," Gunawardena told the news conference. "We hope to continue with our relations with the United States and other countries."

He said the United States has been a friend and has assisted Sri Lanka in times of difficulty.

“We remain deeply grateful for your support.  U.S. assistance to Sri Lanka after the Asian tsunami in 2004 was significant.  I recall the visits of former President George Bush Sr. and former President Bill Clinton, their assistance in the aftermath.  Also in the recent times of Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in April 2019 and also most recently for the COVID-19 mitigation.  Especially, I also extend my sincere thanks and appreciation once again for proscribing the LTTE [Tamil] terrorist organization even before 9/11 attacks and up to now.''

Pompeo said he “had a wide-ranging discussion on our security cooperation which helps keep some of the world’s most vital sea lanes open, as the minister recognized, in addition to our joint trainings. I’m proud that Sri Lankan officers received training at the United States institutions like West Point, my alma mater, and I’m also proud the United States has donated two Coast Guard cutters that are now Sri Lanka’s navy patrolling your waters.

“Indeed, a strong, sovereign Sri Lanka is a powerful and strategic partner for the United States on the world stage.  It can be a beacon for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“That’s quite a contrast to what China seeks.  We see from bad deals, violations of sovereignty and lawlessness on land and sea, that the Chinese Communist Party is a predator, and the United States comes in a different way.  We come as a friend and as a partner.''

Pompeo also said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated in his victory speech last year, that he is the president of all citizens, not of only those who voted for him. “And as our two nations move forward, the United States is counting on those words to hold true.  We fully expect that Sri Lanka will fulfill its pledges to take meaningful, concrete steps to promote accountability, justice, and reconciliation.''

The United States has provided more than US$26 million in health assistance to Sri Lanka over the last 20 years, and provided US$6 million in coronavirus assistance.

In September, the US Agency for International Development donated 200 new ventilators to Sri Lanka.-Reuters/The Standard