Nationalism and geo-politics stall Colombo port’s development
With a capacity of 7.2 million TEUs, an annual cargo tonnage of nearly 40 million tons, and a dredged depth of over 15 meters, the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka is among the world’s top 25. Its strategic location on the main East-West shipping lane is a major attraction. And given the absence of good ports in India, Colombo is also the main transhipment hub for Indian cargo.
‘But Sri Lanka’s attractiveness is not an unmixed blessing. It has spawned challenges,’ says Adm (Rtd) Jayanath Colombage, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary.
Sure enough, Colombo port has become a bone of contention among Asian powers, China and India. China has already established a presence in Colombo port (besides the Hambantota port in South Sri Lanka) by building and running the highly productive Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT). India and Japan, on the other hand, are seeking a stake in the yet-to-be developed Eastern Con
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Geopolitical dimensions of Colombo Port development Daily News (via HT Media Ltd.)
With a capacity of 7.2 million TEUs, an annual cargo tonnage of nearly 40 million tons, and a dredged depth of over 15 metres, the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka is among the world’s top 25. Its strategic location on the main East–West shipping lane is a major attraction. And given the absence of good ports in India, Colombo is also the main transshipment hub for Indian cargo.
“But Sri Lanka’s attractiveness is not an unmixed blessing. It has spawned challenges,” says Foreign Secretary Admiral (Rtd) Prof. Jayanath Colombage.