China Can't Object to Nuclear Agreement with India, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tells NDTV

A day after India and Sri Lanka signed a historic nuclear agreement which will allow India to help Sri Lanka learn best practices on the management of reactors if Sri Lanka decides to embark on a nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera tells NDTV that China does not have the right to object to the deal. Many have seen this agreement as one that could potentially ruffle Beijing's feathers, given the massive amounts of money China has pumped into Sri Lankan projects. However, the new Sirisena government has been quick to send Delhi an unambiguous message as soon as it took over - that India-Sri Lanka ties once again take centre-stage in Colombo, and unlike the government of predecessor Mahinda Rajapaske, Colombo's new regime has no desire to leverage ties with Beijing against India. In light of this change in Colombo's policy, the Sirisena government made its first foreign visit to India and has already begun a review of big Chinese infrastructure projects.