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The way the foreign policy of China has evolved in recent decades to consolidate its interests could be an object lesson to other countries. Initially, China’s Asia policy focused on Northeast and Southeast Asia. But in recent times, South Asia has gained tremendous importance in China’s foreign policy, which currently aims to maintain and promote regional peace and stability and, in consequence, sustain China’s own peaceful rise. As a result, South Asia constitutes an important region for China’s strategic ambit, and Sri Lanka is no different. In this context, this paper attempts to examine the growing China-Sri Lanka strategic engagement in general and particularly under President Rajapakse regime, which actually transformed the bilateral ties. India’s response to deepening ties between China and Sri Lanka and President Sririsena’s balancing approach towards India and China is analysed.