KETERGANTUNGAN EKONOMI SRI LANKA TERHADAP EKSISTENSI CHINA DI ASIA SELATAN

Bilateral relations between China and Sri Lanka have been established for a long time until now, both of which have established economic cooperation marked by the 1952 Sino-Lanka Rubber-Rice Pact agreement. Where this research aims to analyze Sri Lanka's economic dependence on China's existence in South Asia. Sri Lanka's economic dependence on China's existence in South Asia is examined through the perspective of trade relations, investment, and economic assistance. Using Theotonio Dos Santos' dependency theory, this research explores how Sri Lanka's economic dependency on China has formed and developed and its implications for Sri Lanka. This research uses a qualitative research method using a descriptive approach that focuses on a systematic and accurate understanding of symptoms, facts and events in a particular population or region. Sri Lanka's economic dependence on China is mainly due to several main factors namely: massive infrastructure investment funded by China, significant loans from Chinese financial institutions, and increased bilateral trade in favor of China. The research found that the implications of this economic dependency include challenges to Sri Lanka's economic sovereignty such as debt, inflation, economic crisis and an urgent need to diversify sources of investment and trade to reduce the risk of dependency on China.