On 7 December 2023, the NESA Center for Strategic Studies published NESA Center alum Asanga Abeyagoonasekera's article "Fragility in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Expanding China’s Geopolitical Ambition."

"Does fragility matter in geopolitics? Does China exploit fragility in vulnerable nations to gain an edge over its competitors? When a nation is bankrupt, it’s left with few options. Fragility opens a window for external geopolitical intervention impacting domestic and regional security. The great-power competition between the established power, the US, and the rising power, China, has heightened with competing strategic interests in many geographies. Sri Lanka, the South Asian nation, and Myanmar, in Southeast Asia, located at strategic sea lanes in the Indian Ocean, have become victims of geopolitical battles amidst the nation’s fragility. The analysis captures fragility in India’s immediate periphery and China’s geopolitical aspirations amidst the fragile environment in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, impacting regional security," writes Abeyagoonasekera.

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About the Author

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is an International Security and Geopolitics Analyst and Strategic Advisor from Sri Lanka. He is a Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the South Asia Foresight Network (SAFN) at the Millennium Project in Washington, DC. He is the author of the recent book Teardrop Diplomacy (2023) published by Bloomsbury.

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