China accuses US of openly interfering in China-Sri Lanka ties

Chinese embassy in Colombo accused the United States (US) of openly interfering in China- Sri Lanka ties and violating diplomatic protocols by  pointing out to a statement made by a senior US official last week ahead of US Secretary of State Micheal Pompeo's visit to the country.

“US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Dean Thompson openly instigated and interfered in China-Sri Lanka relations during a press briefing on Secretary Pompeo's upcoming visit, and even urged Sri Lanka "to make difficult but necessary decisions" on its foreign relations, which is a blatant violation of diplomatic protocols,” a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said. 

Earlier the Spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry responded strongly and stressed that the remarks of the US official were filled with Cold War mentality and hegemonistic mindset doomed to fail, which fully exposed the consistent US practice of arbitrarily interfering in other countries' domestic and foreign policies and forcing small and medium-sized countries to choose sides.

The statement noted that as a sincere friend of the Sri Lankan people, “China is happy to see the island developing healthy relations with other countries. However, we are firmly opposed to the United States taking the opportunity of the State Secretary's visit to sow and interfere in China-Sri Lanka relations, and to coerce and bully Sri Lanka,”