Majority Sri Lankans consider themselves Buddhists. One may say that within that majority only a very small minority are practicing Buddhists. Vanishing greed, hatred & fraternity can be considered the essence of Buddhist way of life. Those who vanish bonds may spiritually experience space travel as gravitational pull due to bonding is reduced. Chinese space travelers are known as Taikonauts. It is a combination of the Chinese word Taikong (space) & Greek word Naftis (sailor). The Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft embarked on its journey from China on Tuesday. Unmanned Chinese spacecraft landed on the Moon in 2020. Chinese authorities indicate that Taikonauts are expected to explore the Moon in the coming years. The Chinese civilization which dates back more than 10,000 years is the first to attempt space travel. During the Ming dynasty when the ancient Silk Road (China’s historic trade network) was at its peak, Wang Hu (considered the world’s first astronaut) attempted space travel with rockets fixed to a chair. Those who saw “Kung Fu Panda” movie may recall a similar scene. American space agency NASA named a crater on the moon to honour Wan Hu. In essence it’s all about fighting against gravity to go into the galaxy.

While some from the south display qualities of strong gravitational pull with stronger attachments to power & positions, American space agency NASA recently reported that Southern Sri Lanka has least gravity of all the places on planet Earth. Some were positive about using the least gravity status in SL to earn foreign currency by using the area to launch spacecrafts & rockets etc. If Sri Lankans act fast working with countries that are far head in space technology to start such ventures, it will earn wealth to take the country out of the crisis. China & India are two powers that SL can approach. SL shouldn’t miss opportunities which come its way. The visit of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Sun Weidong is a valuable opportunity that can be used to turn such concepts into reality. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo accused China of engaging in "economic coercion" when meeting the trade ministers in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Coercion literary means the use of force to persuade someone to do something that they are unwilling to do (Ref Cambridge). At the same time US State Secretary Blinken stated in Sweden that continuous dialogue with China & all others to prevent conflicts is the best approach. IPEF is an economic initiative started by President Joe Biden of US in 2022. It is expected to dictate the new rules for the 21st century economy. Many analysts see it as an attempt against rising China by the United States. US had the same approach towards Japan which it colonized after WWII. SL historically has had opportunities in the Indian Ocean as part of Asia. SL should stand with those with such win-win approach.

(Views expressed are personal)