BEIJING says Sri Lanka's visiting president is now prepared to resume the controversial Chinese-backed port development in Colombo that his administration had stopped, Reuters reported.
Colombo was prepared to resume the project in February, but wanted to make changes over freehold rights which appeared to some to border on a transfer of national sovereighty.
India is also concerned about security threats posed by Chinese control of 20 hectares adjacent to the Port of Colombo, as India is a major user of deep water transshipment port, ideally located on the main Asia-Europe trading route.
Officially, objections were stated as a lack of government approvals that had Sri Lanka stopping the US$1.4 billion port city project that would include shopping malls, a water sports area, golf course, hotels and apartments.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told Chinese President Xi Jinping that work would resume after problems are "sorted out", a Chinese Foreign Ministry official told reporters on the sidelines of visit.
"He [Mr Sirisena] stressed that what happened around the port city in Colombo is rather temporary, and he said the problem does not lie with the Chinese side and hopes to continue with the project after things are sorted out," said Liu Jianchao, assistant minister of foreign affairs.
China has poured millions of dollars into infrastructure in Sri Lanka since the end of a 26-year civil war in 2009, when Colombo was largely shunned by Western investors because of its human rights record.
PORTS
30 March 2015 - 21:17
Sri Lanka drops objections to China's US$1.4 billion Colombo Port City
BEIJING says Sri Lanka's visiting president is now prepared to resume the controversial Chinese-backed port development in Colombo that his administration had stopped
PORTS
30 March 2015 - 21:17
Sri Lanka drops objections to China's US$1.4 billion Colombo Port City
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