No outright sale to China, keen on Indian investment: Govt.

Sri Lanka is keen to attract investments from Delhi for its ports and civil aviation sector much on the lines that Beijing has invested in these key sectors in the country, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva has said.  

"Sri Lanka is redefining it’s identity -- as an Indian Ocean Region country besides being South Asian nation. Lanka is located in the pathways between Africa and Australia. It wants to leverage its relation with both India and China. We are keen on Indian investments in both ports and aviation sector," Minister De Silva told the Economic Times in an interview.

He was one the key speakers at the inaugural of Gateway of India dialogue (geo-economics dialogue) organised by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Mumbai based think tank Gateway House.

Allaying India's fears about Chinese footprints in Sri Lanka, the deputy minister claimed that Delhi's security concerns from Beijing's presence in Sri Lanka have been addressed.