Factum Perspective: Navigating the Crosscurrents – Iran, Sri Lanka, and the US
By Britney Martil
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Sri Lanka marks a significant milestone. The inauguration of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Project, a hydro power project supported by Iran, symbolizes the potential for further collaboration in energy generation and infrastructure. Despite challenges like funding delays, the completion of the project underscored a sustained dedication to supporting Sri Lanka’s development initiatives.
During his visit, President Raisi emphasized Iran’s readiness to expand bilateral relations not only with Sri Lanka but also with other Asian countries. This is in line with Tehran’s Look East policy, a policy necessitated by Western sanctions. He expressed Iran’s willingness to provide technical expertise and support for development projects. Raisi also addressed key issues, including political, economic, trade, and cultural collaboration, enhanced cooperation in various sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and technology.
The joint press conference held by Raisi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe reaffirmed their shared commitment to advocating for global issues, including Palestine. The signing of agreements in various fields further solidified the commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation and people-to-people contacts. Overall, the visit signifies a new chapter in the relationship between the two nations, characterized by mutual respect, cooperation, and shared aspirations for peace and prosperity in the region.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Shanghai and Beijing, China, from April 24 to 26 marked another important diplomatic engagement between on the world stage. The visit encompassed a series of significant meetings with key Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining.
The discussions were characterized as in-depth, substantive, and constructive, covering a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. One of the primary emphases of the talks was the commitment to using diplomacy to make progress in areas of difference and cooperation between the two nations. This approach is framed within the context of responsibly managing the competition between the United States and China.
Key priorities addressed during the discussions included the implementation of commitments made during previous meetings, such as the Woodside Summit. These commitments encompassed various areas, including counternarcotic cooperation, military-to-military communication to avoid conflict, and discussions on managing the risks associated with advanced forms of artificial intelligence.
The Secretary also reiterated Washington’s commitment to defending its interests and values, including preventing the use of advanced US technologies to undermine national security and the economy. Human rights issues, including the cases of wrongfully detained American citizens, erosion of autonomy in Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet, were also addressed.
Furthermore, concerns were raised regarding China’s support to Russia’s defense industrial base, which was seen as enabling Russia’s actions in Ukraine and undermining European and transatlantic security.
On regional security, Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed concerns about destabilizing actions in the South China Sea. Additionally, discussions touched upon the crisis in the Middle East and the commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication and agreed to continue high-level diplomacy and interactions in the period ahead. Despite the complexities and differences, Blinken’s visit aimed to foster dialogue and engagement between the United States and China on various fronts.
Meanwhile, in the US, universities have taken different approaches to student protests against the Israel-Hamas conflict. While some schools called in law enforcement to disperse demonstrations, leading to arrests and confrontations, others opted to wait out the protests as the end of the semester and graduation ceremonies approached.
These protests have emerged on numerous campuses in response to the arrest of over 100 demonstrators at Columbia University the previous week. Students are advocating for their universities to sever ties with companies supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza, and in some cases, to disassociate from Israel itself.
Organized by coalitions of student groups, these protests are largely independent but draw inspiration from similar actions at other universities. With the semester ending soon, concerns have arisen about potential disruptions to upcoming commencement ceremonies. Additionally, some Jewish students expressed fears of encountering antisemitism on campus due to the nature of these protests. Columbia University became the focal point of nationwide protests as demonstrators erected a tent encampment on the New York campus.
Negotiations between protest representatives and university administrators, which began on Friday, aimed to address demands such as severing financial ties with Israel and companies involved in the Gaza conflict, and granting amnesty to protesting students and staff.
Talks broke down, with lead negotiator Mahmoud Khalil stating that the university threatened police and National Guard intervention if the encampment persisted. In response, hundreds of students and faculty gathered on the lawn, marking the largest turnout since the protests began. Following overnight developments, the university extended a 48-hour deadline to demonstrators, provided certain conditions were met, including restricting non-student access to the encampment and reducing the number of tents. Despite initial reports, a university spokesperson denied suggesting the involvement of the National Guard.
While tensions flared outside the university, law enforcement described the students within the encampment as peaceful and cooperative. Initial attempts to clear the encampment resulted in over 100 protester arrests, inadvertently galvanizing student movements nationwide and inspiring renewed protests at Columbia. US House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia to address concerns of antisemitism among Jewish students. He pledged solidarity with Israel and Jewish students, emphasizing their support for the country. This, however, contrasts with the participation of several Jewish students in pro-Palestine protests.
All in all, these events highlight the interconnectedness of diplomatic maneuvers and grassroots activism. These developments underlie that which has been evident for quite some time, namely a turnaround in the international order.
Britney Martil is a law student at the Kotelawala Defence University.
Factum is an Asia-Pacific focused think tank on International Relations, Tech Cooperation, Strategic Communications, and Climate Outreach accessible via www.factum.lk.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the organization’s.
