Colombo: Sri Lanka‘s hambantota According to a media report, port officials said that the high-tech Chinese research vessel, which was to dock there on Thursday, will not reach the port, after India expressed security concerns over its presence in the island nation, according to a media report. a few days after.
As reported by the Newsfirst.lk website, the Harbor Master for the port of Hambantota says that no ship can enter the port without his permission.
Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking shipyuan wang 5′ will not reach Hambantota port on Thursday.
Last week, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry asked Beijing to defer the arrival of ‘Yuan Wang 5’, which was to be docked at Hambantota port from August 11 to 17, due to security concerns expressed by India.
However, no announcement was made whether the vessel would be allowed to enter the Hambantota port.
‘Yuan Wang 5’ departed China on July 14 and has not entered a single port on its way so far. The ship has been sailing for about 28 days with zero replenishment.
On 12 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka gave approval for the docking of the ship at Hambantota port. On 8 August, the ministry in a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo requested the postponement of the ship’s planned docking. However, it did not specify the reason for such request. ‘Yuan Wang 5’ by that time had entered the Indian Ocean.
The southern deep sea port of Hambantota is considered strategically important for its location. The port has been largely developed with Chinese loans.
As of Thursday evening, Yuan Wang 5 was about 600 nautical miles from the southern port of Hambantota in Sri Lankan waters, Newsfirst.lk reported. The vessel is now facing the Bay of Bengal from the east of Sri Lanka.
In 2021, a Chinese government survey ship – the Jiang Yang Hong 03 – was operating in the same area in the Indian Ocean and carrying out a search pattern west of Sumatra.
India has said that it carefully monitors any developments that affect its security and economic interests.
When asked about reports of a proposed visit by a Chinese vessel in New Delhi, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We are aware of the report of the proposed visit to Hambantota by this ship in August.”
“The government carefully monitors any developments affecting India’s security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to protect them,” he said last month.
New Delhi is concerned about the possibility that the ship’s tracking systems may be attempting to spy on Indian installations en route to the Sri Lankan port.
India has traditionally taken a tough stand on Chinese military ships in the Indian Ocean and has opposed such visits with Sri Lanka in the past.
Relations between India and Sri Lanka were strained in 2014 after Colombo allowed a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine to dock in one of its ports.
India’s concerns have been particularly focused on the Hambantota port. In 2017, Colombo leased the southern port to China Merchant Port Holdings for 99 years after Sri Lanka was unable to meet its debt repayment commitments, fueling fears over the port’s potential use for military purposes.
China is Sri Lanka’s main creditor with investments in infrastructure. Debt restructuring of Chinese debt will be critical to the island’s success in its ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
India, on the other hand, has been Sri Lanka’s lifeline in the current economic crisis. It has been at the forefront of providing nearly USD 4 billion in economic aid to Sri Lanka during the year as the island nation grapples with its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
As reported by the Newsfirst.lk website, the Harbor Master for the port of Hambantota says that no ship can enter the port without his permission.
Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking shipyuan wang 5′ will not reach Hambantota port on Thursday.
Last week, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry asked Beijing to defer the arrival of ‘Yuan Wang 5’, which was to be docked at Hambantota port from August 11 to 17, due to security concerns expressed by India.
However, no announcement was made whether the vessel would be allowed to enter the Hambantota port.
‘Yuan Wang 5’ departed China on July 14 and has not entered a single port on its way so far. The ship has been sailing for about 28 days with zero replenishment.
On 12 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka gave approval for the docking of the ship at Hambantota port. On 8 August, the ministry in a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo requested the postponement of the ship’s planned docking. However, it did not specify the reason for such request. ‘Yuan Wang 5’ by that time had entered the Indian Ocean.
The southern deep sea port of Hambantota is considered strategically important for its location. The port has been largely developed with Chinese loans.
As of Thursday evening, Yuan Wang 5 was about 600 nautical miles from the southern port of Hambantota in Sri Lankan waters, Newsfirst.lk reported. The vessel is now facing the Bay of Bengal from the east of Sri Lanka.
In 2021, a Chinese government survey ship – the Jiang Yang Hong 03 – was operating in the same area in the Indian Ocean and carrying out a search pattern west of Sumatra.
India has said that it carefully monitors any developments that affect its security and economic interests.
When asked about reports of a proposed visit by a Chinese vessel in New Delhi, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We are aware of the report of the proposed visit to Hambantota by this ship in August.”
“The government carefully monitors any developments affecting India’s security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to protect them,” he said last month.
New Delhi is concerned about the possibility that the ship’s tracking systems may be attempting to spy on Indian installations en route to the Sri Lankan port.
India has traditionally taken a tough stand on Chinese military ships in the Indian Ocean and has opposed such visits with Sri Lanka in the past.
Relations between India and Sri Lanka were strained in 2014 after Colombo allowed a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine to dock in one of its ports.
India’s concerns have been particularly focused on the Hambantota port. In 2017, Colombo leased the southern port to China Merchant Port Holdings for 99 years after Sri Lanka was unable to meet its debt repayment commitments, fueling fears over the port’s potential use for military purposes.
China is Sri Lanka’s main creditor with investments in infrastructure. Debt restructuring of Chinese debt will be critical to the island’s success in its ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
India, on the other hand, has been Sri Lanka’s lifeline in the current economic crisis. It has been at the forefront of providing nearly USD 4 billion in economic aid to Sri Lanka during the year as the island nation grapples with its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.