Imbalance first, balance later.

India was chosen by Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as his first foreign destination after officially taking office.

Judging from outward appearances, this implies that the new Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake prioritizes India in his foreign policy, a stark contrast to his predecessors over the past several decades.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (left) stands alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For Sri Lanka, as well as for the outside world , prioritizing India means no longer prioritizing China. Dissanayake's recent predecessors have all leaned toward China, whether willingly or not, and have been quite skewed toward China. The new Sri Lankan president is no different. Before embarking on his trip to India, Dissanayake planned a visit to China early next year. This is a case of prioritizing India first, then balancing it later. The difference between Dissanayake and his predecessors lies in the fact that he prioritized India first and then built a balance with China, whereas his predecessors did the opposite.

Mr. Dissanayake shifted his stance, recognizing that only New Delhi, not Beijing, could help Sri Lanka escape its current severe socio -economic crisis. And while China remains very important to Sri Lanka, "distant water cannot extinguish a nearby fire."

For New Delhi, the change in Sri Lankan president has presented a rare opportunity to win over and bind its neighbor to a strong cooperative relationship with India. Sri Lanka is particularly important to India because currently, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Maldives all prioritize China first and balance it with India later.

In the practical context of international relations, imbalance is easy to achieve and balance is difficult; achieving balance after imbalance is even harder.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thien-lech-truoc-can-bang-sau-185241219002830569.htm