COLOMBO : With great shock and strong discontent, the embassy learned about the US Ambassador’s interview with a local newspaper, in which a foreign envoy from a third country openly played off China-Sri Lanka relations and severely violated the diplomatic protocol, the Chinese embassy said here on Tuesday.
In a statement made available to Colombo Times, the mission stated :
“ While it’s always not surprising to see the US interfered into a sovereign country’s internal affairs, the general public is still astonished to witness its despicable attempt to manipulate others’ diplomatic relations. Both China and Sri Lanka as independent countries have full right to develop relations with foreign countries according to our own need and will. How Sri Lanka and China engaged with each other has repeatedly stood the test of time, and the government and the people of Sri Lanka have their own independent and fair judgment on the relations with China. The US has no power or obligation to lecture on China-Sri Lanka relations. Such naked hegemony, supremacy and power politics will neither be tolerated by the Chinese nor be accepted by the Sri Lankan.
We strongly suggest the US quit the addiction of preaching others and applying double standards. Four simple but helpful advices to our arrogant friend from the other side of the world: Don’t slander other countries’ work in fighting pandemic while topping the world in COVID-19 cases; Don’t pretend the guardian of free trade while violating the WTO rulings; Don’t hold high the banner of transparency while covering up its controversial MCC agreement; Don’t smear others’ normal cooperation against sovereignty while bombing foreign countries, occupying overseas military bases and imposing unilateral sanctions. All those ridiculous and hypocritical behaviors will only damage its poor international reputation which is already hanging by a thread.”
