The Sri Lankan governments Cabinet Spokesperson Gunawadner announced on the 28th that Sri Lanka had decided not to sign a cooperation plan with the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for the time being because some of the contents of the plan “violated Sri Lanka’s Constitution and laws. Negative impact on national security".
MCC is a bilateral aid agency approved by the US Congress in 2004. According to the cooperation plan reached between the former government of Sri Lanka and MCC, the company provided Sri Lanka with US$480 million to upgrade transportation facilities and improve land management capabilities across the country. Russian Satellite Network believed on the 28th that MCC was called a "development project aimed at alleviating poverty" by the United States, but the people of Sri Lanka believed that it was a tool for the United States to expand its military influence, and that the United States might purchase land in Sri Lanka for military purposes. Gunawadner said on the 28th: "As long as it is harmless to the country, we are willing to accept funds from any friendly country. If the United States is willing to redraft an agreement that has no negative impact on Sri Lanka, the government will consider it."
The content of the MCC Sri Lanka agreement is not yet known.
Nepal Scenario
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is one of the main agencies that implement US bilateral foreign aid. In September 2017, the Nepalese Congress Party government and the then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan signed an agreement: the U.S. government aided 500 million U.S. dollars and the Nepalese government invested 130 million U.S. dollars to jointly complete 400 kilometers of power transmission lines and 300 kilometers of roads in Nepal, as well as Nepal and India. The construction of 3 substations connected to the cross-border grid. Since then, the United States requested that the Nepalese Parliament also approve the project before it can be implemented on the grounds that the above-mentioned cooperation needs to be approved by the American Council.
Recently, various circles in Nepal have launched heated discussions on this topic. Proponents believe that this is conducive to domestic economic development, and the signing of the initial cooperation intention should be the first to support; while opponents believe that many of the cooperation clauses are detrimental to national interests and are contrary to some existing policies and should not be supported. The Communist Party of Nepal also set up a three-member working group to conduct research and suggestions on the cooperation plan.
However, the MCC company agreement rejected by Nepal stipulates that the agreement is "superior to Nepal's domestic law", the aid cannot be used for "violating U.S. laws or U.S. policies", and the American personnel of the MCC project are not subject to the jurisdiction of the local courts in Nepal, etc. People in Nepal believe that the MCC agreement is an "unequal treaty" whose purpose is to maintain US hegemony and implement an "Indo-Pacific strategy" to contain China.
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