A port project being built in Colombo by the Chinese is not a threat, Sri Lanka's prime minister said Saturday amid concerns Beijing is trying to boost its influence in the Indian Ocean.
The $1.4 billion "Port City" represents the biggest single foreign investment received by the island, adding 233 hectares (575 acres) of real estate in the congested capital.
But it is controversial, as Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the region in a "String of Pearls" strategy to counter the rise of rival India and to secure its own economic interests.
"The Port City is not a threat to anyone, it's an opportunity for everyone to make money," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told a news conference. "The Chinese have not asked for any military base in Sri Lanka."
Wickremesinghe described Sri Lanka as a "small country" before adding: "Sri Lanka will not allow in any way the security of other countries to be threatened by third parties. Sri Lanka is committed to the freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean."
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