The vessel, Yuan Wang, is said to be a dual-use spy ship although the international shipping and analytics sites describe it as a research and survey vessel.
Colombo: Even amid Indian apprehensions, Sri Lanka on Saturday allowed a controversial Chinese research vehicle to visit the country. New Delhi feels it could spy on military installations, officials said on Saturday.
The vessel, Yuan Wang, is said to be a dual-use spy ship although the international shipping and analytics sites describe it as a research and survey vessel.
India is concerned of Beijing’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence on Sri Lanka. The Yuan Wang 5 was supposed to anchor at the Chinese-run Hambantota port on August 11 but Sri Lanka had asked Chinese to indefinitely defer the visit.
Sri Lankan authority, in a written request, had asked the Chinese authority in Colombo not to send its vessel. The authority has requested to delay the move for indefinite period. “The ministry wishes to request that the arrival date of the vessel Yuan Wang 5 in Hambantota to be deferred until further consultations are made on this matter,” the request had said.
Earlier in the beginning of the month, amid intense pressure by India, Sri Lanka has reportedly asked China to make indefinite delay in sending ship in the coastal area of the island nation.
Sources in the Sri Lankan government said President Ranil Wickremesinghe failed to give a “satisfactory response” even as India raised concerns.
Officials at the port said the Chinese vessel was around 1,000 kilometre southeast of Sri Lanka on Friday and approaching Hambantota deep sea port. Sri Lanka had leased out the port to China for 99 years at $1.12 billion, however, it was less than the $1.4 billion paid to a Chinese company to build the port.
Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Sri Lanka, as a sovereign country, makes its own independent decisions and added India would make its judgment on its security concerns based on the prevailing situation in the region, especially in the border areas. “We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” Bagchi said.
