Chinese Vessel Reaches Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port Amid India's Concern

The Chinese vessel was earlier scheduled to dock at the Chinese-leased Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on August 11

Chinese vessel Yuan Wang-5

Source : ANI

A Chinese research vessel reached Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port on Tuesday morning, reported news agency ANI citing the local media Daily Mirror, amid concerns in India. Widely tagged as a spy ship, it has the ability to track satellites and intercontinental missiles.

Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 reached the Hambantota Port this morning, reports Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror

(Photo credit: Daily Mirror) pic.twitter.com/Wxt2AHHeZi

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2022

The vessel - Yuan Wang-5 - was scheduled to dock at Hambantota port on August 11 but was deferred for a while after India raised its concerns.

"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," Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement Sunday, as reported by ANI.

The foreign affairs ministry was informed by China via a diplomatic note on June 28 regarding Yuan Wang 5 arrival, the statement said.

The Chinese vessel is scheduled to leave the Hambantota port on August 22.

The Sri Lankan government was requested to provide necessary assistance and positive consideration to the request by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. 

"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 for the new dates 16 to 22 August 2022," the statement read.

Located around 250 km from Colombo, the Hambantota Port was built with Chinese loans given at a very high inetrest. The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease.

(With ANI inputs)