Xi arrives in Sri Lanka

China's President Xi Jinping yesterday held talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart, seeking to strengthen defence ties with the strategically located Indian Ocean nation that could provoke unease in neighbouring India.
China is increasingly asserting its influence in Sri Lanka, a midway point on one of the world's busiest international shipping lanes.
It is already the largest investor, having financed the construction of a deep-sea port and an international airport.
During his visit Xi will kick off building work on a Beijing-funded $1.4 billion port city and launch Sri Lanka's biggest electricity generator, a Chinese-funded 900-megawatt coal-fired power plant.
In a letter published on the front page of Sri Lanka's state-run Daily News yesterday, Xi said he wants to "enhance exchanges and cooperation between us in maritime, business, infrastructure, defence, tourism and other areas".
The reference to defence came despite the repeated insistence of Sri Lankan officials that relations were based on commercial rather than security considerations, an apparent attempt to allay Indian fears.
Some officials in New Delhi have voiced fears in the past that China's growing engagement in the region is a deliberate strategy to encircle India.
Xi also said no country should be allowed to intervene in the affairs of the small island nation, which has historically come under India's influence. Beijing has consistently supported Colombo in its efforts to resist a UN investigation into alleged war crimes against Tamil Tiger rebels, while India has pushed Sri Lanka to ensure accountability.
Xi was greeted by President Rajapakse with a ceremony involving dozens of schoolchildren and elephants dressed in colourful and ornate clothing.
The two sides are expected to finalise more than 20 agreements on trade and aid.