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Belt and Road

China grips Sri Lanka with artificial island off Colombo

Development and legal framework draw 'one country, two systems' comparison

Port City Colombo, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has given Sri Lanka hope that the project will eventually grow into "South Asia's premier residential, retail and business destination." (Photo courtesy of CHEC Port City Colombo)

COLOMBO -- China, no stranger to building islands, has finished one off the coast of Colombo that gives Sri Lanka, a strategically located South Asian nation, the potential of erecting a futuristic business hub.

Billed as Port City Colombo, the 269 hectares of land reclaimed off the coast of Sri Lanka's largest city was officially declared part of the country last weekend. The night sky above Colombo's coast lit up with fireworks to mark the moment this Chinese-led venture was formally able to begin attracting foreign investors.

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