The Yuan Wang 5 was originally due to call at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-run Hambantota port earlier this month but Colombo had asked Beijing to indefinitely defer the visit.
Sri Lanka’s government has granted permission for a controversial Chinese research vessel to visit the island despite India’s concerns that it could spy on New Delhi’s military installations, officials said on Saturday.
The Yuan Wang 5 is described as a research and survey vessel by international shipping and analytics sites, but is said to be a dual-use spy ship.
New Delhi is suspicious of Beijing’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and influence in Sri Lanka, seeing both as being firmly within its sphere of influence.
The Yuan Wang 5 was originally due to call at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-run Hambantota port on August 11, only for Colombo to ask Beijing to indefinitely differ the visit.
Sri Lanka government sources said that although India had raised concerns with President Ranil Wickremesinghe himself, the country failed to give a “satisfactory response” as to why the ship should not be allowed to dock.
“On 12 August 2022 the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China informed the Ministry via Diplomatic Note that the Vessel YUAN WANG 5 was scheduled to arrive in the port of Hambantota on 16 August, 2022 and applied for clearance for replenishment purposes,” Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to NDTV.
“Having considered all material in place, on 13 August, 2022 the clearance to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China was conveyed for the deferred arrival of the vessel from 16-22 August, 2022,” it added.
(curtesy ndtv.com)