Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the potential use of the Colombo Port City project in Sri Lanka as a Chinese military outpost.
The Sri Lankan Government and Chinese Governments jointly launched the Port City Colombo development project in 2014. China is an important source of trade, investment and support for many countries with infrastructure, including under a Belt and Road Initiative badge, helping fill the global infrastructure gap alongside other infrastructure initiatives. However, we recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, which is why we must be clear eyed. In our engagement, it is vital that we protect ourselves, our democracy and our economy at home. HMG's policy on China is set out in the Integrated Review Refresh.