Last year was massive for China’s vehicle manufacturers with total exports swelling 19.3 per cent to five million vehicles, but analysts are forecasting a much slower 2025. Next year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) predicts exports will grow by a much smaller 5.

For years, China has been trying to expand its influence in Sri Lanka, an island off India's southeast coast that the government in New Delhi considers part of its strategic backy