COLOMBO: Allowing a Chinese research vessel to dock at Hambantota last month was a difficult decision, admits Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In an exclusive interview with StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale, he said the decision to allow the ship was taken while Gotabaya Rajapaksa was President and that his government found no grounds to reverse that decision. India had expressed its strong objection over Sri Lanka’s move to allow the ship, after which the Lankan government delayed its arrival, drawing displeasure from China. Wickremesinghe also defended his comment that Hambantota was being used as a “punching bag”. Tune in for more.
