Along the Belt and Road: Chinese development model breathes life into growing Sri Lankan port

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Sri Lanka lies along the route of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, an initiative that China proposed almost five years ago. A port on the southern coast of the island nation is on track to become one of the region's largest. CGTN's Tao Yuan went to Hambantota and filed this story.

Setting sail for Africa from the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Just a few years ago, this port in the small fishing town of Hambantota attracted almost no ships. Now it's run by a Chinese company. Feng Ming explains how turning it around is a major challenge, but they are doing just that.

FENG MING, DEPUTY MANAGER HAMBANTOTA INTERNATIONAL PORT GROUP "Sri Lanka has a very weak industrial basis, so there's little internal demand. We are slowly developing this port. We continue reaching out to potential markets and customers to expand our volume."

TAO YUAN HAMBANTOTA, SRI LANKA "China says its Belt and Road Initiative should benefit China as well as countries along its path. Here in Hambantota, Beijing is hoping this port project could help transform the local economy."

For Hambantota's backwater economy, a port is like no other industry coming to town.

RAVI JAYAWICKREME, CEO HAMBANTOTA INTERNATIONAL PORT SERVICES "This area is one of the poorest per capita-wise in this country."

Ravi Jayawickreme surveys the land and hopes to one day see skyscrapers. A major shipping lane nearby keeps his hopes up.

RAVI JAYAWICKREME, CEO HAMBANTOTA INTERNATIONAL PORT SERVICES "We estimate there are about three hundred ships that pass by this shipping lane per day. So even if we only get a fraction of that in the port of Hambantota for any type of service, that is the potential that we have in this port."

Already it's creating jobs. 98 percent of the port's employees are Sri Lankans. Feng Ming says if the Chinese experience is anything to go by, bigger things are in store for this area.

FENG MING, DEPUTY MANAGER HAMBANTOTA INTERNATIONAL PORT GROUP "We want to replicate China's 'port-park-city' model: an industrial park and a city come in after the initial development of a port. We are working together toward that dream."

The team is going full throttle, hoping to steer the plan on course. Tao Yuan, CGTN, Hambantota.