Navigating Seas of Cooperation: China’s Military Diplomacy in Sri Lanka

Abstract

China’s security relations with Sri Lanka are relatively understudied compared to its political and economic relationships with Sri Lanka—despite the publicity when military vessels or research vessels visit Sri Lankan ports. This research contributes to developing the conversation and knowledge surrounding China’s influence in South Asia by deliberating on the Sino-Sri Lankan defence relationship from 2012 to 2023. In doing so, the study makes two central inquiries: how is China using military diplomacy to achieve its foreign policy objectives, and what are the tools that China is using to implement its defence diplomacy? This paper relies on several primary sources of data, such as vernacular sources of literature on defence and security, interviews with bureaucrats and defence officials, data from the government of Sri Lanka and the People’s Republic of China, and media reports to address the questions. Secondary sources of data from various databases were also used to triangulate the data that was extracted from primary sources. Through a rigorous analysis of the content, the research paper sheds light on the exchanges, training, and funding China has provided to the Sri Lankan armed forces. This research provides two main findings on the nature of military diplomacy conducted, the motives for undertaking military diplomacy, and how they support China’s foreign policy objectives.