Since 2022, due to the outbreak of a series of unfavorable factors such as the ongoing epidemic, the war in Ukraine, the supply chain crisis, and the food crisis, most countries and regions in the world have fallen into economic recession. Sri Lanka, a small country in South Asia

Since 2022, due to the outbreak of a series of unfavorable factors such as the ongoing epidemic, the war in Ukraine, supply chain crisis, and food crisis, most countries and regions in the world have fallen into economic recession. The small South Asian countrySri Lanka is considered to be in the worst situation. One of the worst countries, the country has officially declared bankruptcy.

Since this month, Sri Lanka's political situation has become unstable, with large-scale protests and demonstrations. A large number of people rushed into the Presidential Palace and the Prime Minister's Office. Both the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka expressed their willingness to resign. Sri Lanka's crisis first started in the economic field. Sri Lanka's industrial base is quite weak and is mainly supported by black tea exports and tourism.

However, the epidemic that has lasted for more than two years has severely impacted Sri Lanka's economy. So far, Sri Lanka has owed US$51 billion in foreign debt and cannot repay it. According to official figures, Sri Lanka's inflation rate has reached 54.6% in June, and may reach 70% in July, indicating a complete economic collapse.

The economic crisis quickly triggered political changes. People's dissatisfaction with President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe reached the extreme, eventually leading to large-scale violence that attacked the Presidential Palace and the Prime Minister's Office. According to Indian media reports, Sri Lanka’s opposition parties have agreed to form a coalition government to tide over the current political and economic crisis. But everyone knows that it is almost impossible for Sri Lanka to get out of the predicament alone.

Under such circumstances, external powers have appeared one after another, among which the United States and India have been the most active. According to the Indian Express, Indian diplomats have been closely monitoring changes in Sri Lanka and seeking to engage with Sri Lankan stakeholders. So far, India has provided approximately US$4 billion in loans to Sri Lanka.

India has been emphasizing its "special relationship" with Sri Lanka and has long interfered in Sri Lanka's internal affairs. Now Sri Lanka is in chaos, giving India an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. According to BBC reports, the United States has also sent a delegation of senior officials to visit Sri Lanka to have extensive contact with local political and business circles.

There is a very important reason why India and the United States intervene in Sri Lankan affairs. The United States and India actually hope to use this Sri Lankan crisis to offset China's influence in the country. In the past few years, China has increased its investment in Sri Lanka and helped Sri Lanka build a large amount of infrastructure.

In 2016, China signed an agreement with Sri Lanka and obtained a 99-year lease right of 1.08 square kilometers of land in Colombo Port to build an international financial city, filling the gap between Dubai and Singapore . Such large projects have deepened cooperation between the two countries and increased China's local influence. At the same time, they have also made countries such as India and the United States dissatisfied.

Ever since Chinese companies acquired the Colombo port, the US media has hyped up the so-called "debt trap" and even called Sri Lanka a Chinese "colony". However, this cooperation is mutually beneficial. Chinese companies carrying out infrastructure construction locally can provide a large number of jobs and even alleviate Sri Lanka's economic crisis to a certain extent.

Now that India and the United States have entered the market, they will definitely find ways to squeeze out Chinese companies. It is no exaggeration to say that India and the United States entered the game at this time with the obvious intention of taking advantage of others' danger. Sri Lanka is currently negotiating with the US-led International Monetary Fund, hoping to obtain US$4 billion in emergency assistance to temporarily tide over the difficulties.

But everyone knows that money from India and the United States is not easy to get. In most cases, their aid is mixed with private goods. The Sri Lankan government is currently in the grip of an economic crisis. In order to survive, it is very likely that it will agree to some harsh conditions that undermine sovereignty and dignity. It is a high probability event that the relationship between China and Sri Lanka will be affected.

To put it bluntly, today’s international society is still dominated by Western countries.If the Sri Lankan government is really far-sighted, it should stick to its bottom line and not be deceived by the United States and India. If it succumbs to the additional conditions imposed by the United States, it may be possible to survive the temporary crisis, but the future and destiny of the entire country will be uncertain. Talked about. You must know that Americans are good at causing destruction around the world. Letting them help other countries in construction is just trying to catch up.