Sri Lanka assures Japan H’tota Port not for Chinese military use

22 Aug, 2018

Sri Lanka has assured Japan the?Hambantota Port will not be used by the Chinese for military purposes.

Top defense officials of Japan and Sri Lanka have confirmed that a Sri Lankan port leased to China should be open to all countries to ensure freedom of navigation, Japan’s NHK reported.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera met Sri Lankan State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene in Colombo on Tuesday. Onodera is the first Japanese defense minister to visit Sri Lanka.

Onodera said the Hambantota port in southern Sri Lanka is located on a crucial shipping route.

Wijewardene said his country will not permit China to use the port for military purposes.

Sri Lanka agreed last year to allow a Chinese company to operate the port under a 99-year lease. (Colombo Gazette)

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