From Friendship to Dependency: Analysing Sri Lanka's Foreign Policymaking Towards China

This book employs a Neoclassical Realist framework to analyze Sri Lanka's foreign policymaking towards China, emphasizing domestic factors that shape decision-making processes. It examines why Sri Lanka-China relations since the 1990s have been criticized for financial over-reliance and debt trap allegations. It argues that these relations are deeply influenced by domestic political dynamics, including the roles of state leaders, foreign policy executives, and strategic culture, and also: Applies Neoclassical Realist framework to analyze Sri Lanka's foreign policymaking towards China, emphasizing domestic factors that shape decision-making processes Examines the evolution of Sri Lanka-China relations since the 1990s, addressing criticisms of financial over-reliance and debt trap allegations from a Sri Lankan perspective Analyzes the roles of state leaders, foreign policy executives, and strategic culture in shaping bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China Provides a unique analysis that grants agency to Sri Lankan decision-makers rather than focusing primarily on Chinese positionality in the relationship Investigates key drivers of bilateral economic and security relations, including major infrastructure projects and foreign borrowings This title has been co-published with Knowledge World Publishers. T&F does not sell or distribute the print versions in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri lanka.

About the Author

Bhagya Senaratne serves as Director of Education at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Sri Lanka. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.She was previously the inaugural BRI Postdoctoral Fellow of Global Asia at the Center for Global Asia, New York University Shanghai, China, and a Senior Lecturer at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. She co-edited Pakistan-Sri Lanka Relations: A Story of Friendship (2017) and Sri Lanka's Post-Independence Defence Policy: Past, Present and Future Projections (2023).