Sri Lankan court: China-built port board needs approval by public referendum Top Searches Sri Lankan court: China-built port board needs approval by public referendum AP / May 19, 2021, 13:24 IST FacebookTwitterLinkedinEMail File photo: A Chinese construction worker stands on land that was reclaimed from the Indian Ocean for the Colombo Port City project. COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's top court has ruled that some provisions of legislation to set up a powerful economic commission in a Chinese-built port city violate the constitution and require approval by a public referendum to become law. At the center of the dispute are fears that the $1.4 billion port city, part of China's sweeping Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, could become a virtual Chinese outpost or colony.