A RECENT article by Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong has touched New Delhi on its sore spot. The reaction of the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka to Qi's article once again shows India's sense of insecurity in the face of the growing ties between China and other South Asian countries.

In his Friday article, Qi praised China and Sri Lanka for 'jointly safeguarding each other's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity' by linking Colombo's final decision to allow China's research vessel Yuan Wang 5 to dock at the Hambantota Port with China's firm countermeasures after some US politicians' provocations in the Taiwan Straits.