The South Asia nuclear threat and the Sirimavo Doctrine – II (continued)
November 21, 2014, 6:38 pm
Izeth Hussain
In addition to the first part of this article there have been other articles indicating deep Indian anxieties over the issue of Chinese submarines docking at Colombo port. Noteworthy articles by Col.R.Hariharan and by Kanwal Siral a former Indian Foreign Secretary have been reproduced in the local press. There have also been statements by official spokesmen of the Sri Lankan and Chinese Governments claiming that nothing really untoward had occurred, but as far as I am aware there has been no strictly official statement by the Indian Government. Evidently all three Governments want to play the issue down. But the stark fact is that there has been a symbolic projection of Chinese naval power in the Indian Ocean at a site that is in close proximity to India, the implications of which require assessment. Very probably the three Governments will work out an understanding regarding the projection of Chinese naval power at Colombo.
