Colombo dismisses Delhi fears over China ‘dual-use’ ship visit
INDIA RAISES SPYING CONCERNS AS SRI LANKA SAYS BOTH COUNTRIES ARE ‘IMPORTANT FRIENDS’
SRI LANKA on Tuesday (2) brushed aside Indian concerns over a scheduled visit by a Chinese ship, saying that the vessel was coming only to refuel and replenish supplies.
The research and survey ship, Yuan Wang 5, is due to dock in the Chinese-run Hambantota Port in southern Sri Lanka next Tuesday (11), according to analytics website MarineTraffic.
Indian media reports said New Delhi was worried that the vessel would be used to spy on its activities, and it had lodged a complaint with Colombo.
The Yuan Wang 5 is a dual-use spy vessel, employed for space and satellite tracking and with specific usage in intercontinental ballistic missile launches, according to Indian news broadcaster CNN-News18.
The Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military modernisation says that the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Bandula Gunawardena, the Sri Lankan government spokesman, said at a press conference that the cabinet discussed the ship’s visit on Monday (1), and that it would still be allowed to dock.
“Both India and China are helping us at this very crucial time when we are facing an unprecedented economic crisis,” he said.
“The president (Ranil Wickremesinghe) informed the cabinet that this matter will be diplomatically resolved by talking to all sides. Both are important friends.”
The vessel is to spend about a week at Hambantota taking in fuel and other supplies. It will not undertake any work while in Sri Lankan waters, Gunawardena said.
Another minister, Manusha Nanayakkara, told the same press conference that 18 previous such port visits to Sri Lanka had been made by Chinese research vessels, and that the Yuan Wang 5 was stopping “only for bunkering”.
There was no immediate comment from the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
However, New Delhi last week made it clear that it will closely monitor “any bearing on India’s security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them”.
In response to questions from reporters, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing had always exercised freedom of the high seas lawfully.
“China hopes that the relevant parties will view and report on China’s marine scientific research activities correctly and refrain from interfering with normal and legitimate maritime activities,” the ministry said in a statement.
Relations between India and China have been strained since armed clashes on their border two years ago killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, and led to a massive build-up of troops on both sides.
India remains suspicious of China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka, which owes large amounts of money to Beijing for infrastructure projects, including the $1.4billion (£1.14bn) Hambantota Port.
Sri Lanka gave a Chinese company a 99-year lease on the port – which is located along the main East-West international shipping lanes – in 2017 after being unable to keep up with debt repayments on the facility.
Two Chinese submarines had berthed in Sri Lanka in 2014 despite Indian objections. Since then, there have been no such Chinese submarine visits to Sri Lankan ports.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51bn (£41.7bn) in foreign debts in April. It has since opened bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.