The visit of the Chinese research vessel ‘Yuan Wang 5’ to Sri Lanka is routine, according to Qi Zhenhong, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka.
He made the statement to the media shortly after the vessel arrived at the Hambantota Port this morning.
Qi Zhenhong stated that a similar vessel visited the Colombo Port in 2014, as part of the bilateral relationship between China and Sri Lanka.
When asked about the delay in the Chinese ship’s visit, Qi Zhenhong replied, “I don’t know.” Perhaps this is life.”
In response to questions about India expressing security concerns about the Chinese vessel’s visit, he asked the media to direct the questions to his “Indian friends.”
The Chinese ship was scheduled to refuel at the Chinese-leased Hambantota port on August 11 before departing on August 17.
However, the visit was postponed because India expressed security concerns about the vessel’s docking in Hambantota.
