January 6, 2025 – January 19, 2025 | Vol.15, #02 & 03
Event: From January 14 to 17, 2025, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) undertook his first state visit to China in response to an invitation extended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping.[1][2][3]
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Analysis
Sinhala print and TV media predominantly framed the visit as a positive step towards strengthening Sri Lanka’s diplomatic and economic ties with China. Meanwhile, a segment of social media commentary carried views critical of the president on superficial grounds.[1] The analysis is captured in three points.
(1) Subsiding scepticism towards China
In the past, scepticism in Sri Lanka towards China was fuelled by concerns over corruption linked to Chinese-funded projects under the Rajapaksa administration and excessive influence over economic decisions of the government. These fears were exacerbated by the government adopting the Colombo Port City bill and the dispute with a Chinese company over a consignment of organic fertiliser that Sri Lanka deemed as “contaminated”.[2]
However, President Dissanayake’s visit was viewed positively. The NPP government’s engagement with China has elicited a shift in media coverage towards a more optimistic view of potential economic and diplomatic collaborations with China.
(2) Sentiment on China conditioned by sentiment on the government
A closer reading of the media coverage surrounding the president’s visit to China suggests that sentiment towards China-Sri Lanka relations is conditioned by not just bilateral developments but by how people in Sri Lanka perceive their government.
During the Rajapaksa administration, sentiment towards China reflected deeper concerns about corruption and mismanagement. By contrast, there was a more positive outlook on China following the recent visit by AKD to China. This could be deriving from greater public confidence in the NPP administration, which is seen as less corrupt and more transparent than the previous few governments.
(3) Superficial criticism of the president on the China visit
A strand of social media commentary following the president’s visit to China featured superficial criticism of him, particularly related to his attire and proficiency in English.
This line of criticism appears to stem from “organised” social media campaigns aimed at discrediting the government (refer to this week’s memes). However, these “organised” efforts appear to be ineffective and disconnected from organic public sentiment which leans toward a more positive outlook on the visit and the president’s conduct.
[1] The MPA team monitored Facebook profiles, TikTok handles and YouTube channels using Junkipedia for the keywords foreign, Chinese and international. The monitoring period was January 6 to 17, 2025.
[2] See TMA Vol.08, #26, Vol.11, #14 & 15, Vol.11, #18 and Vol.11, #39.
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