Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, MP for Mitcham and Morden, Siobhain McDonagh, slammed raised concerns over the newly appointed foreign secretary’s, David Cameron’s, engagement with China and promotion of the Chinese-backed “Port City Colombo”.
Cameron’s engagement with the project has caused controversy as the projected will be constructed and operated by the state-run China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). McDonagh noted in her statement that the CHEC is “a Chinese state enterprise that was sanctioned by the US government and blacklisted for bribery by the World Bank”.
In 2021, then US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina B. Teplitz, raised concerns over the legislation covering Colombo’s Port City. “There appear to be openings for either corrupt influences or potential of illicit financing, money laundering and things like that. US companies are going to be wary of that,” Teplitz told a round-table discussion. “Doing business with that company [CHEC] might not be advisable,” she added.
Speaking before a conference Cameron sought to downplay these concerns noting:
“When you read the press about it, you’d think the whole thing was owned by China, governed by China and that the Sri Lankans have made a terrible mistake".
He added:
“The rules are being set by a Sri Lankan authority. They’re not being set by someone else. This is still the sovereign territory of Sri Lanka. The Chinese company has a lease on a part of it but that returns fully back to Sri Lanka.”
However, critics are concerned that the port city project will provide China a permanent foothold in Sri Lanka.
Catherine West, Labour's shadow minister for Asia and the Pacific, said: “The new foreign secretary insisted on two occasions he had not ‘engaged in any way’ with China over the Port City Colombo development in Sri Lanka, but now it’s clear he met with and received gifts from the Chinese state-backed developer of the project. This raises serious questions for David Cameron to answer.”
“Given MPs are unable to question him in the Commons, we need urgent clarity over his links with China, including disclosure of his relevant interests,” West said.
Cameron has faced criticism from members of his own party including former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith who told Politico:
“Cameron of all people must realize that China’s Belt and Road is not about help and support and development, it’s ultimately about gaining control — as they’ve already demonstrated in Sri Lanka”. “I hope that he will reconsider the position he’s taken on this”, he added.
McDonagh, further statement further slammed Sri Lanka noting that the country has been accused of war crimes, and that there are tens of thousands of disappeared people which have still not been found.
She concludes her statement asking:
“Would the Minister agree with me that the British people have a right to know when their foreign secretary has been employed by the Chinese government?”
The government minister responded to her statement by rejecting her characterisation of Cameron’s employment history and stressing that “there is a thorough process in place through the ministerial code process, where the independent adviser publishes statements on ministers relevant interests”.
He further added:
“I met him yesterday for the first time to speak in general terms about the role that he has, and work is underway on the next list to include the relevant interests of newly appointed ministers”.
He also maintained that:
“The government's position on China remains unchanged. We believe in engaging directly and robustly in the UK national interest next month”.
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