'Development ride'

Riding a motorcycle without a helmet? Well, it's not an offence because it is all official when Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa test-rides a sample bike in the Presidential Secretariat premises after the Chinese government donated a consignment of motorcycles which is a part of a huge infusion of donations, grants, investments and loans from Beijing.

China is now financing nearly all of Sri Lanka's biggest infrastructure projects, including the Hambantota Port and the Mattala International Airport. The Government data shows that in 2009 China was, in terms of commitments, Sri Lanka's biggest aid donor, with US$1.2 billion out of a total of $2.2 billion offered, hardly a huge amount for China. The Board of Investment reveals it is the biggest investor, too. Chinese companies have been investing in electronics, infrastructure projects, garment-making, and much else. The government has set up a free trade zone for Chinese companies.