From December 15 to 16, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong visited Northern Sri Lanka. The region is predominantly Tamil, an ethnic group that has always had close ties to India. The "unprecedented" depth of the Chinese ambassador's interaction with the Tamil community has sparked alarm among some Indian media outlets speculating that China intends to expand engagement with the region.
On December 16, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong and his party visited the Temple of Kangdaswamy Image Source: The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Twitter
"India Express" published an article on the 17th that it is not surprising to enter the largest Hindu temple in Sri Lanka - Kangdaswami Temple, with a tray full of fruits and sacrifices, but the man who led the people into the temple on the 16th was particularly eye-catching, because he was the Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka.
About 74.9% of Sri Lanka's population is Sinhalese, mostly Buddhist; Tamils make up about 15.3%, mostly Hindu. But in the Northern Province, tamils account for more than 90 percent, and separatist forces have long been entrenched. India was also involved in a 26-year civil war between July 1983 and May 2009 between Tamil Eelam and Sri Lankan government forces. In May 2009, the Sri Lankan government announced the recovery of all LTTE-controlled areas.
India Express said that due to historical, cultural and linguistic relations, although the Indian government maintained a close relationship with the Tamil separatist forces, it still maintained close relations with the Tamils, and India's diplomatic and political influence on the northern province was taken for granted.
China's infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka are concentrated in the southern part of the country, and while China is also building roads and houses in war-torn Tamil settlements, the Chinese ambassador's visit signals its "intention to expand" engagement with the region.
Ambassador Qi Zhenhong shares offerings with local people after his visit to the temple Image source: The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Twitter
The Indian Express noted that while this is not the first time a Chinese diplomat has visited Sri Lanka's northern province, it may be the first time a Chinese ambassador has spent the night on the Jaffna Peninsula and engaged in such extensive public diplomacy. A former member of the Ilam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) confessed that the visit was "unprecedented" in terms of Ambassador Qi Zhenhong's stay in the Northern Province and the people he saw.
The report mentioned that the main livelihood of the people of the Jaffna Peninsula is fishing, and Ambassador Qi Zhenhong donated $100,000 worth of fishing nets and dry food to the local fishermen's association on the 15th, and also discussed with government officials and people how China can help increase employment opportunities in the northern province.
The Northern Province of Sri Lanka (within the right red line) is across the sea from India
The Indian Express also played a picture of Tamils' "dissatisfaction" with China, saying that in recent months, Tamils have questioned why the signs of some facilities in Sri Lanka contain Chinese but not Tamil, which is not the official language. Sri Lankan official sources said the trip was sending a message to tamils that they should see China as a friend.
Another Indian-language media outlet, WION, called China a "charm offensive" against the Jaffna region. The report claims that although the Chinese ambassador donated supplies to Jaffna's fishermen and also donated laptops, Tamils "remain vigilant."
Ambassador Qi Zhenhong visits Jaffna Public Library on December 15 Source: The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Twitter
It is worth mentioning that the above-mentioned Indian media have mentioned the solar photovoltaic projects of Chinese companies in the northern province of Sri Lanka. In January, Sri Lanka's cabinet approved an energy project with Chinese company Sino Soar Hybrid Technology to build power plants on three islands in the north of the country. But the project was opposed by India.
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka tweeted on December 1 that Sino Soar Hybrid Technology's project in Sri Lanka was suspended due to "third-party concerns about safety." The company signed a contract with the Maldives on November 29 to build solar power plants on 12 of the country's islands.
According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the WeChat public account of the Asia Department, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong led the inter-departmental working group of the embassy to visit the Northern Province of Sri Lanka on the afternoon of the 15th, visited the Jaffna Public Library, known as the temple of Tamil culture, and donated books and computers. In the afternoon of the same day, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong met with the Governor of Northern Province, Thiyagaaraja, in Jaffna, and donated water purification equipment to the local area.
On the morning of the 16th, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong visited the Largest Hindu temple in Sri Lanka and known as the Tamil Spiritual Home of The Kandaswami Temple, and entered the temple with his upper body exposed in accordance with the Tamil tradition. A number of Tamil media went to the scene to compete for live broadcasting, and Sri Lankan social media also spoke highly of the visit, expressing appreciation for the new form of Chinese diplomacy entering the people, entering the grassroots and approaching the hearts of the people, and thanking the Chinese ambassador for fully respecting tamil national culture and beliefs.
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