Report in Sunday Times, Jan 1, 2023
In recent months, there have been some high-level visits to the North by diplomats based in Colombo–particularly, those from the Chinese Embassy.
When one considers geopolitical gravitational pulls, it is understandable why the Chinese are interested in the Northern region, which
is socially and culturally closer to the state of Tamil Nadu in India just across the Palk Strait.
Earlier this week, a high level delegation led by the Chinese Embassy’s Chargé d’affaires Hu Wei was in the Northern province taking part in various events such as handing out dry rations, stationery assistance for schools and setting up safe drinking water plants in remote villages across the region. Earlier almost all such initiatives were carried out in different regions of the province by India through its Consulate General’s office located in Jaffna.
Dry ration packages worth Rs 6,230 were distributed to disadvantaged families but they got caught in a misinformation campaign when it came to Chinese produced rice. Some reported food poisoning and ill health on social media after consuming it.
The next day, addressing a similar event of handing out relief items, Chargé d’affaires Wei clarified that the distributed rice is ‘sticky rice’– which is commonly prepared in rice cookers at modest heat whereas Northerners are used to red naadu and local
traditional rice varieties which require boiling for about an hour.
As part of their engagements, the Chinese delegation also met with selected local civil society representatives and media personnel for dinner at a leading hotel in Jaffna.
Stationery assistance for schools were some of the events that Chinese Embassy officials attended while in Jaffna
One of them was making the point as to why, despite carrying out all these initiatives in the recent past, securing grass root level support for Chinese projects and investments in the North were becoming increasingly difficult.
He asked why the embassy was not meeting with elected representatives–the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which would give some legitimacy to be closer to Northerners.
The embassy official responded by saying that they had made a request for a meeting with the TNA leadership three times in the recent past, but they were yet to receive a response.
Coming out of the meeting, one of the local civil representatives was heard saying to his colleague: “Maybe the TNA is waiting for clearance from the Indian high commission to go for a meeting with the Chinese.”…….
https://www.sundaytimes.lk/230101/columns/china-and-india-play-geopolitical-games-in-the-north-507209.html
