COLOMBO: Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, who arrived in the island on Aug 20, visited strategic ports in Sri Lanka, including a controversial port which was leased to a Chinese state-owned company, Lankan government officials confirmed.

Onodera visited the Colombo port on Tuesday and the Southern Hambantota port which is operated by China Merchants Group on Wednesday in a visit that is largely seen as one aimed at countering Chinese presence and expansion in the country and region. The minister was briefed about the port operations by Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Parakrama Dissanayake.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2018