China Seizes Sri Lanka Port

China recently completed another master stroke in its war for global domination.  They obtained complete rights to the Hambantota port and 15,000 surrounding acres on Sri Lanka which is just off the southern tip of India. (1)  Take a look at the map below and you’ll see that such a port provides control over the entrance to the entire Indochina region, access to the Bay of Bengal, and influence over a large chunk of the Indian Ocean.  Looking longer term, this also gives China a direct threat against India, down the road.  This is the very definition of a strategic port.

Make no mistake, this was a military seizure, pure and simple, conducted via non-kinetic means.

Chinese Port In Sri Lanka

ComNavOps tips his hat to the Chinese for yet another brilliant move and, just like the annexation of the East/South China Seas, it was accomplished without bloodshed or even significant protest!

Using nothing but economic coercion, bribery, intimidation, and debt manipulation China forced Sri Lanka to hand over the rights to the Hambantota port for a period of 99 years.  Of course, by then, the entire region will belong to China and the lease terms won’t matter.

The unethical, unfair, and illegal means China used to accomplish this are detailed in a New York Times website article and it makes for fascinating reading as well as an object lesson on the conduct of non-kinetic warfare. (2)

Yes, China has promised not to use the port for military purposes but they made the same promise about the illegal artificial islands in the South China Sea.  Their word is worthless.  With 100% certainty, they will militarize the port.  As the NY Times notes,

“Sri Lankan officials are quick to point out that the agreement explicitly rules out China’s military use of the site. But others also note that Sri Lanka’s government, still heavily indebted to China, could be pressured to allow it.” (2)

The US has got to wake up and start engaging in this war or we’re going to lose without every taking any action.  We can start by taking a lesson from the Chinese.  One of the strategic weaknesses for the US in the Pacific/China theatre is the lack of basing.  Well, take a look at the IndoChina map below.  There are endless opportunities for US basing in the region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.  We just need to start engaging diplomatically, economically, politically, culturally, and any other way we can with these countries.  We don’t need to, and absolutely should not, stoop to the illegal and unethical means that China does but we do need to engage. 

Basing Opportunities Around The South China Sea

If you don’t think China is bent on global domination then take a look at the New York Times map below of Chinese financed ports around the world.  If it doesn’t scare you, then you’re Chinese.  They've seized the East and South China Seas and are in the process of seizing Africa.

Chinese Ports Around the World

We are years late, already, to this war but better late than never.  We need to wake up, sound the alarm, and start fighting every way we can.

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(1)The Diplomat website, “Sri Lanka Formally Hands Over Hambantota Port to Chinese Firms on 99-Year Lease”, Ankit Panda, 11-Dec-2017,

https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/sri-lanka-formally-hands-over-hambantota-port-to-chinese-firms-on-99-year-lease/

(2)New York Times website, “How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough Up a Port”, Maria Abi-Habib, 25-Jun-2018,

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/world/asia/china-sri-lanka-port.html

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