Sri Lanka
Return to articleSAV Explainer: The Changing Dynamics of the Japan-Sri Lanka Relationship
Since 2023, Japan has extended its investment in South Asian infrastructure and connectivity projects to strengthen its soft power diplomacy in the region. As part of this extension, Sri Lanka hosted the Japanese Foreign Minister in July 2023 and invited…
BIMSTEC Revival: A Compelling Alternative to the BRI in the Bay of Bengal
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared on 9DASHLINE and has been republished with permission from the editors. With the sixth BIMSTEC summit scheduled to take place in Thailand in 2024, international media has turned its attention to the grouping to discuss its…
Sri Lanka in 2023: Short-Term Solutions to Long-term Problems
2023 was a transitional year for Sri Lanka as it continued to recover from its worst economic crisis since independence. While the previous year's mass Aragalaya (“struggle” in Sinhalese) protests in response to the crisis kicked out the previous government,…
The Case for Washington’s Strategic Engagement in South Asia
Changing geo-strategic circumstances with the rise of China have forced the United States to narrow its global commitments and concentrate on the immediate challenge. In South Asia, this shift in priorities has felt seismic. While U.S. engagement centered on counterterrorism…
China in South Asia: Sri Lanka’s Elusive Attempts to Balance Between India and China
China’s role in Sri Lanka has undoubtedly changed over the past few years but is no less influential. Sri Lanka’s current foreign policy is almost exclusively driven by economic needs owing to its recent political and economic crises during which…
The Case for Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises in Sri Lanka
In 2021, state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines reported losses of more than one percent of Sri Lanka’s GDP. Totaling USD $552 million in 2021, the loss of one state owned enterprise is larger than the entire national social security budget set…