Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port could be China’s top choice for next naval base: report

According to the US-based AidData research project, the port is the most likely spot for a base given the US$2.19 billion Beijing has already invested there

Colombo has said it would not allow the facility to host any foreign armed forces

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A Chinese research ship arrives at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port in August 2022. Photo: AP

Published: 4:01pm, 28 Jul 2023

Sri Lanka tops the list of nations that may host a Chinese naval base in the coming years as Beijing seeks to expand its maritime capabilities, according to a new report.

The South Asian nation’s Hambantota port is the most likely spot for a base given the US$2.19 billion China has already invested there, according to an assessment by the AidData research project at William & Mary university in Virginia.

Sites in Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan and Cameroon were listed as the next possibilities over the next two to five years.

“China’s single largest port investment anywhere is at Hambantota, and Beijing exercises direct control over the facility,” said AidData, which released the report on Thursday. “Coupled with its strategic location, the popularity of China among elites and the population, and Sri Lanka’s alignment with China in UNGA voting, Hambantota is our top candidate for a future base.”

For years, observers have tried to parse the extent that China uses its economic clout to advance its military ambitions.

The Asian nation has the world’s largest navy by number of warships, and its construction and engineering companies are busy building port facilities around the world. It provided loans and grants worth nearly US$30 billion from 2000-2021 to build or expand 78 ports in 46 countries, the AidData report said.

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