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France offers ‘third way’ as Sri Lanka balances China, India ties. But is it ‘late to the party’?
- President Macron’s recent visit to Sri Lanka shows France wants to deepen its influence in the Indo-Pacific amid big-power interest in the region
- Sri Lanka wants to avoid being ‘caught’ in a tussle between the likes of China and India, analysts say, as it deals with its huge economic crises
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French President Emmanuel Macron made a brief but historic stopover in Sri Lanka last month, in a show of France’s desire to offer an “alternative” to the big-power tussle between China, India and the West for influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Macron’s visit comes as France and Sri Lanka mark 75 years of relations, and as both countries aim to boost cooperation in areas such as development aid, maritime security and trade.
Analysts say their growing friendship is driven by mutual interests, with Sri Lanka also looking to avoid being “caught” between rival powers jostling for regional influence as it works to tackle its huge debt burden.
Sri Lanka is in the throes of crippling economic and humanitarian crises, with a “severe recession, high inflation, depleted reserves and unsustainable public debt”, according to the International Monetary Fund.
“Sri Lanka not only is in a difficult position economically, but the situation has been compounded by an increasingly stressed regional environment due to strategic competition between large powers,” said Nilanthi Samaranayake, a visiting expert at the United States Institute of Peace.
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Macron’s trip is an indication of Paris’ desire to be viewed as an alternative to the other powers, said Mathieu Droin, a visiting fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Europe, Russia and Eurasia Programme.
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