Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as the new president of Sri Lanka on Monday after the National People's Power leader won the presidential election. This marks the first time in the country's history that a Marxist leader has assumed the role.

“We don’t want Sri Lanka to be sandwiched, especially between China and India,” said Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the newly-elected President of Sri Lanka and leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in an interview with The Monocle ahead of the elections in the country.

Sri Lanka has made history by voting leftist Anura Kumara Dissanayake to power. The people rejected all the known and tested political leaders and dynasts - Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe and Premadasa - who, according to them, contributed to the island nation's economic collapse.

Colombo would not align itself with any ‘power camp’ in a geopolitical fight, the National People’s Power leader said.

US politicians across party lines have prized improved ties to New Delhi, and India has fitfully grown closer to Washington as its relations with China have soured.