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Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy

Factum Perspective: Lanka-Sino ties and criteria for ‘win-win’ economic diplomacy

By Shiran Illanperuma China has long emphasized that its outward investment via the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is based on the principle of “win-win”. This is to say that Chinese investment is geared towards mutual benefit, and should not veer too far into the extremes of charity on the one hand, and exploitation…

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Factum Perspective – Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy since independence, which leader did it best?

By Chandani Kirinde Cartoon by W.R. Wijesoma – Published 50 Years in Cartoon 1948-1977 For a small island nation like Sri Lanka, tiding over the turbulent world of international relations hasn’t been an easy task since independence. Much of the success stories in   foreign affairs have depended on the country's leaders and the direction in which they…

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Factum Perspective – Are corporate giants above nation states?

By Sarasi Paranamanna The vessel, Hippo Spirit carrying Chinese fertilizer from Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd is still looming around Sri Lankan waters much like the inclement weather these days. Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage has stated that Qingdao Seawin has agreed to take back the fertilizer shipment which has caused much contention and…

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Factum Perspective – Can the West make a difference in Afghanistan

The return of the Taliban & the future of Afghanistan, Can the west make a difference? By Rathindra Kuruwita and Rikaza Hassan The fate of Afghanistan is still up for grabs by the west, but the clock is ticking … fast. The international community watched with a mix of shock, horror and awe as…

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Factum Perspective: China upping people-to-people diplomacy in Sri Lanka

By Omar Rajarathnam China is a rising public diplomacy power. With infinite money to project its image, it deploys West-based social media platforms to amplify people-to-people ties in democracies world over including Sri Lanka. Reciprocity is a key aspect of diplomacy, but not in this case because in China access to social media platforms hailing…

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