COLOMBO (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered Sri Lanka a fresh grant of two billion yuan ($295 million), every bit Beijing looks to expand its influence inwards the tiny isle province off India’s southern tip. President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka, a partner inwards Beijing’s multi-country Belt in addition to Road infrastructure push, made the annunciation on Sabbatum at a ceremony marker the start out of construction of a Chinese-funded kidney infirmary inwards his dwelling theatre constituency of Polonnaruwa, 230 km (142.92 miles) from Colombo. “When the Chinese ambassador visited my theatre to gear upwardly the appointment for this ceremony, he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent me around other gift,” Sirisena told the gathering.
“He has gifted two billion yuan to endure utilized for whatever projection of my wish. I’m going to manus over a proposal to the Chinese ambassador to build houses inwards all the electorates inwards the country,” he added.
The grant offering comes at a fourth dimension when a Chinese theatre is facing heavy criticism for allegedly financing the terminal election elbow grease of one-time President Mahinda Rajapaksa here
Last month, the New York Times reported that mainland People's Republic of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) gave $7.6 1000000 for Rajapaksa’s re-election bid, which he lost to Sirisena inwards early on 2015.
Rajapaksa, the Chinese diplomatic mission inwards Colombo in addition to state-owned CHEC convey all denied the allegation, but Sirisena’s coalition authorities held a parliament fence on Th over the study in addition to called for an investigation into the alleged funding.
Sirisena had at the start out of his term suspended close of the Chinese-backed infrastructure projects started nether Rajapaksa over suspected corruption, overpricing in addition to for flouting authorities procedures.
But to a greater extent than than a twelvemonth later, the Sirisena authorities allowed Chinese projects to resume after a few changes inwards around of them.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
China was with the outset countries that stepped inwards to assist the reconstruction of Sri Lanka after a 26-year-long civil state of war ended inwards 2009.
China in addition to Sri Lanka convey traditionally been friends in addition to mainland People's Republic of China has provided assistance according to Sri Lanka’s evolution needs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily tidings briefing inwards Beijing on Monday.
“The relevant assistance does non come upwardly attached with whatever political atmospheric condition in addition to is for the create goodness of the Sri Lankan people,” Geng said, without straight referring to the two billion yuan pledge Sirisena announced over the weekend.
However, many of China’s projects, backed past times loans from its authorities in addition to initiated nether Rajapaksa, convey faced opposition inwards Sri Lanka amid concerns raised past times the United States, Republic of Republic of India in addition to Nihon that mainland People's Republic of China mightiness utilization Sri Lanka every bit a armed services base.
The 2014 docking of a Chinese navy submarine inwards Colombo raised an alert inwards New Delhi, prompting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boost ties with Sri Lanka in addition to hook dorsum influence inwards the Indian Ocean region.
Both the Sri Lankan authorities in addition to Chinese diplomatic mission inwards Colombo convey denied whatever plans to utilization a southern port right away handled past times a Chinese theatre for armed services purpose.
Reporting past times Ranga Sirilal in addition to Shihar Aneez, additional reporting past times Philip Wen inwards BEIJING; editing past times Krishna Das in addition to Himani Sarkar
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