Merchandise and Food Shortages in a National Crisis

[EndtheMadnessNow]

From this lengthy 2019 Asia Times article it seems the Sri Lankan crisis may be a part of this "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" campaign by the US government.

Resistance to US intervention in Sri Lanka

Exerting control over the South Asian island state by turning it into a ‘military logistics hub’ has become a top strategic priority for Washington

Sri Lanka is a participant in the Maritime Belt and Silk Road Initiative, China’s extensive network of ports and maritime facilities connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In a controversial move in January 2017, the Sri Lankan government granted China a 99-year lease of Hambantota Port in exchange for US$1.1 billion in debt relief. China is also developing other projects in Sri Lanka, such as the $1.4 billion “Port City” in Colombo on land reclaimed from the Indian Ocean.

To curtail Chinese expansion across Asia, the US is turning strategically located Sri Lanka into a “military logistics hub” and the center of its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Region Policy.” Moreover, the US-Japan-Australia-India alliance is seeking to involve Sri Lanka in taking on the Chinese challenge.