Former Minister Champika Ranawaka criticized the recent visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to China, claiming that the trip yielded no new projects, with agreements signed merely revisiting long-standing initiatives. He made these remarks during a media briefing held in Colombo.
Ranawaka stated that most of the projects discussed during the visit, including the oil refinery project, had been on the table for years. “Many of these projects are old proposals. Nothing new has been brought forward. For instance, the idea of an oil refinery has existed for a long time,” he remarked.
He elaborated that when the Hambantota Port was constructed in 2011 during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, over 2,000 acres were allocated for an industrial park around the port. The refinery was initially part of that plan. Later, during Maithripala Sirisena’s presidency, efforts were made to develop two refineries, with Ranawaka himself being part of the delegation to China. “At that time, a cabinet proposal was approved, spearheaded by Minister Malik Samarawickrama. These discussions and plans have been ongoing for years under previous administrations.”
Ranawaka lamented the lack of fresh initiatives and criticized the current leadership for adopting projects they had previously opposed. “Nothing new has come to light. It is disheartening that the same leaders who once claimed China was trying to turn Sri Lanka into its own province, like Hong Kong, and spread false narratives about the port city, are now implementing these old ideas. It’s a tragedy,” he said.
The former minister’s comments highlight the ongoing debate about Sri Lanka’s dependency on China for economic projects and the lack of innovation in new development initiatives.
