Sri Lanka will not take part in any "big power rivalry" in the Indian Ocean and it is unfortunate that his country has been made the "punching bag" for Hambantota, president Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, weeks after India and China clashed over the docking of a high-tech Chinese ship at the country's southern port.
Sri Lanka certainly does not want the problems of the Pacific coming to the Indian Ocean, he said while speaking on the crisis-hit country's position on the geo-political stage.
"We don't participate in a military alliance, and we certainly do not want the problems of the Pacific coming to the Indian Ocean. We don't want this to be an area of conflict and an area of war. Sri Lanka will not take part in any big power rivalry," said Wickremesinghe on Wednesday while addressing the graduation ceremony of the National Defense College.
His remarks came weeks after the Chinese embassy and the Indian High Commission here clashed verbally over the docking of the Chinese ship 'Yuan Wang 5' at Sri Lanka's southern Hambantota port for replenishment.
Wickremesinghe said that the "geopolitics of the Indian Ocean has unfortunately made Sri Lanka the punching bag for Hambantota."
"It is not a military port. Though ours is a commercial port it shows our strategic importance that many people come to conclusions which are unwarranted," Wickremesinghe said, in his second public comment on the issue in recent weeks.
On August 30, Wickremesinghe appealed to all political parties to join an all-party government to tackle the island nation's worst-ever economic crisis and prevent "strong economies" from using it as a "tool of interference."
"We can no longer be a nation dependent on loan assistance. We can also no longer be used as a tool of interference by other countries with strong economies," Wickremesinghe said without naming any country.
In his address on Wednesday, Wickremesinghe also said that Sri Lanka would stay out of any big power rivalry, adding that the country must ensure the rivalry does not lead to conflict in the Indian Ocean.
"That is one thing we cannot afford," News First, an online portal, quoted Wickremesinghe as saying.
Sri Lanka granted port access to the Chinese vessel from August 16 to 22.
There were apprehensions in New Delhi about the possibility of the Chinese vessel's tracking systems attempting to snoop on Indian defence installations while being on their way to the Sri Lankan port.
India last month hit back at China for alleging that it was "interfering" in Sri Lanka's internal affairs, firmly telling Beijing that what Colombo needs now was "support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies" to serve another country's agenda.
In his address, Wickremesinghe also said that “if we lose a good security system, our future will be destroyed and the world situation and geopolitics will turn very badly.”
Pointing out that it is not good for the country, the President also said that as a country, 2030 has been focused on security.
He explained that Sri Lanka could be used by terrorist groups to launch an attack against a third party and preventing such terrorist attacks will be a major challenge that Sri Lanka will have to face in the future.
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images
