Cleric, Cadre, Businessman: China's Development Strategy in Sri Lanka

What do harbors have to do with Buddhism? 

Join us in exploring China's fascinating use of religion in foreign policy and its vital role in China's soft power strategy. Tabita Rosendal Ebbesen unravels Chinese Development policy, governance practices and the use of Buddhism in diplomatic and public diplomacy efforts in Sri Lanka in conversation with Frode Hübbe.

Mentioned in the article is Tabita’s great article China’s Buddhist Strategic Narratives in Sri Lanka – Benefits and Buddhism? Which is accessible open source: https://www.tandfonline.com/.../10.../09512748.2022.2120063

Tabita Rosendal Ebbesen is a Doctoral student at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University. Her research focuses on contemporary Chinese governance practices on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Aiming to fill knowledge gaps on port projects, Tabita has conducted fieldwork in Sri Lanka, interviewing key stakeholders.

Frode is a student assistant as the Nordic Institute of Asia Studies and a China Studies Student at the University of Copenhagen.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.

We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.