Sri Lanka vows closer ties with China and India's left

Sri Lanka's government pledged closer ties on Thursday with Communist parties in China and India, two regional powers competing for influence in the small but strategically important nation. The government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held its first May Day rally with special guests from the Chinese Communist Party and Communist parties in India. 

Sri Lanka lies just south of India and is located at a halfway point along the main east–west international shipping lane, making it a strategic location in the Indian Ocean. Dissanayake has been trying to balance relations with the two regional super powers. 

His first overseas visit was to India after coming to power following September presidential election. He then travelled to China, which is also the island's largest single lender. Beijing was the first to restructure its loans to Sri Lanka after the country declared a sovereign default in April 2022, following an acute shortage of foreign exchange that triggered an unprecedented economic meltdown. 

India extended credit lines to help salvage the Sri Lankan economy after it declared bankruptcy three years ago.