Chinese military research vessel Yuan Wang 5 arrives at the Hambantota International Port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, August 16, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer
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COLOMBO, Aug 16 (Reuters) – A Chinese military survey ship docked at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-built port of Hambantota on Tuesday after a several-day delay due to opposition to the visit of India, which competes with China to influence the affected crisis. Sri Lanka.
India had opposed the docking of the Yuan Wang 5, which analysts describe as a high-tech ship to track objects in space, as it fears China could use the port, near the main sea route Asia-Europe, as a military base.
Sri Lanka, which needs support from both India and China as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades, initially granted the ship permission for a five-day replenishment stay in Hambantota, starting on August 11
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He later asked China to delay the ship’s arrival, citing the need for further consultations. Read more
Now Yuan Wang 5 will dock for just three days to stock up on fuel, food and other essentials, said a port official who did not want to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
A Sri Lankan government minister said the island nation was working to ensure there was no friction between friendly countries.
“India had raised concerns and Sri Lanka asked for a delay in the docking of the vessel until discussions could be held to resolve these issues,” Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana told reporters.
“Even before this there have been ships from the US, India and other countries that have come to Sri Lanka. We have allowed these ships to come. Similarly we have allowed the Chinese ship to dock.”
China Merchants Port Holdings ( 0144.HK ) signed a 99-year lease in 2017 to operate the deep-water Hambantota port.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the Chinese ship was not interfering with any other country.
“The Yuan Wang 5’s conduct of maritime research activities… does not affect the security or economic interests of any country and third parties should not interfere with it,” he said in Beijing.
Foreign security analysts say the Yuan Wang 5 is one of China’s latest generation space tracking ships, used to monitor the launches of satellites, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The Pentagon says the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army.
Before the ship’s arrival, India gave the Sri Lankan Air Force a Dornier 228 aircraft for maritime surveillance.
At a handover ceremony, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe called it the start of maritime surveillance cooperation between his country’s navy and air force and the Indian navy.
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Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe in Colombo; Written by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Krishna N. Das; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence Fernandez
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