A Chinese research vessel finally docked on Tuesday (August 16th) in the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota, under Chinese management, announced the port authorities, despite the concern of India and the United States which fears activities of espionage.
the Yuan Wang 5 was allowed to dock on the condition that it conduct no research while in Sri Lankan waters, port officials said, after consultations with India, the United States and China. The Chinese ship will also have to keep its automatic identification system (AIS) on in Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone.
It is presented by specialized sites as a ship “research and study” but, according to the Indian channel CNN-News18, it is a dual-use spy building, used for space and satellite tracking, and used specifically for intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
Beijing, Sri Lanka’s main bilateral creditor
the Yuan Wang 5 left the Chinese port of Jiangyin on July 13 and was originally scheduled to call on August 11 at the port of Hambantota, run by a Chinese company. But Colombo had to postpone the stay of the ship in front of Indian protests. After intense diplomatic negotiations, Colombo did an about-face on Saturday and announced that it had allowed the boat to dock at Hambantota and stay there until August 22.
India is concerned about China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka, which has run into heavy debt over the years with Beijing to develop major infrastructure projects. In 2017, Colombo was unable to service its $1.4 billion debt contracted with Beijing for the construction of Hambantota and had to cede the port for ninety-nine years at a Chinese company.
China remains Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor, holding more than 10% of the country’s external debt. Sri Lanka, which defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in mid-April, is in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a possible bailout. Beijing’s support is essential so that the country, plunged into a serious economic crisis, can restructure its debt before being eligible for IMF aid.
“India and China are both helping us”
At the beginning of the month, the Sri Lankan authorities had sought to reassure India by affirming that the Chinese ship was coming to refuel in particular with fuel and would not engage in any activity during its stay in Sri Lankan waters. Manusha Nanayakkara, cabinet minister, said Chinese research vessels had already made 18 such visits to Sri Lanka.
New Delhi had warned against “any impact on the security and economic interests of India [qui] would take all necessary measures to safeguard them”. Sri Lankan government spokesman Bandula Gunawardena had said the cabinet wanted to respond “diplomatically” to “concerns” from New Delhi.
“Both India and China are helping us in this very crucial time when we are facing an unprecedented economic crisis”, he pointed out. On Tuesday, the eve of the arrival of the Chinese vessel, India offered Sri Lanka a Dornier 228 aircraft to boost the island’s maritime surveillance capabilities. The aircraft is loaded with equipment to monitor and jam electronic signals.
The island of 22 million people has endured severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine since late 2021 due to a lack of foreign currency to finance essential imports.