As Chinese influence grows, Japanese warship visits Sri Lanka

Sailors on Japanese helicopter carrier Kaga wait as Japanese destroyers Inazuma and Suzutsuki approach during a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean, Indonesia September 22, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Japan’s largest warship, the Kaga helicopter carrier, sailed into Sri Lanka's Colombo harbour this weekend, marking Tokyo's highest profile salvo in a diplomatic battle with China for influence along the region's vital commercial sea lanes.

Japan has long provided low-interest loans and aid to Sri Lanka, helping it transform Colombo into a major trans-shipment port tapping the artery of global trade just south of the island that links Europe and the Middle East with Asia.