It was only because of the war, we were meant to believe, that Sri Lanka had not developed like Singapore. We all grew up envisioning a newly prosperous Sri Lanka, a tropical paradise that was the natural hub of international shipping. Establishing itself as a maritime centre remains at the heart of Sri Lanka’s geopolitical ambitions. China’s substantial investments in Sri Lanka’s maritime provinces started a regional bidding war for control over the remaining container terminals in Colombo. Sri Lanka navy personnel clear debris from the X-Press Pearl, which had 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals onboard.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2021 09:00 UTC