Terming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jaffna as "interference" in Sri Lanka's affairs, an official Chinese think-tank said the recent "incidents" are sufficient to "merit Beijing's attention."

In an article published in state-run Global Times, Liu Zongyi, Assistant Researcher of Shanghai Institute for International Studies asserted that “Modi's trip to Sri Lanka has courted attention from media outlets of many countries including China, with most of them believing New Delhi has gained the upper hand when Colombo halted the China-invested project”

“Modi included in his Sri Lanka trip the city of Jaffna in the Tamil-majority Northern Province, which in fact shows India's interference in the country's internal affairs,” it expressed.

In an apparent reference to the decision by Sri Lanka government to review Chinese investments, including the controversial Colombo Port City project, agreed during the former government of Sri Lanka, the article said “every small country yearns to strike a balance among different powers.”

It, however, cautioned: “Historical disputes between India and Sri Lanka over Tamil people and fishery resources will make it difficult for the two sides to build a rapport any time soon.”

The Assistant Researcher further stressed “If the Sri Lankan government ignores China's goodwill in a bid to cater to certain powers, it will hardly gain respect from the international community.”

Highlighting China's assistance to Sri Lanka to fight the LTTE, the article said, “Save for China, no other country was willing to help Colombo then.”
(With Inputs from PTI)