- Thursday, February 27, 2025
In August last year, Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, arrived in the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota eliciting strong reactions from India.
By: Shubham Ghosh
NEARLY a year after Yuan Wang 5 berthed at a strategic port in Sri Lanka and raised neighbour India’s concerns, another Chinese warship, a surveillance-enabled one, has docked at the Colombo port.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel HAI YANG 24 HAO arrived at the Sri Lankan port on Thursday (10), the island-nation’s navy said.
The vessel will depart on Saturday (12).
“The 129 metre-long ship which arrived in Colombo is manned by a crew of 138 and it is commanded by Commander Jin Xin. The ship is scheduled to depart the country tomorrow,” a statement from the Sri Lankan navy said.
According to local media reports on Friday (11), Sri Lanka delayed its arrival upon concerns raised by India.
“The Chinese authorities sought permission for it earlier, but Sri Lanka delayed permission because of resistance from India,” the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
Despite a briefing by Sri Lanka to Indian officials, the latter remained concerned about the research ship’s visit to the island nation.
Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of India’s ministry of external affairs said in a press conference that New Delhi monitors any development that has bearing on security.
The Chinese vessel’s arrival has taken place less than a month after Sri Lankan pesident Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India.
In August last year, Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, arrived in the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota eliciting strong reactions from India.
There were apprehensions in New Delhi about the possibility of the vessel’s tracking systems attempting to snoop on Indian defence installations while being on its way to the Sri Lankan port.
However, after a considerable delay, Sri Lanka allowed the ship to dock at the strategic southern port of Hambantota, being built by a Chinese company.
Sri Lanka considers both India and China equally important partners in its task to restructure its external debt.
The negotiations for Sri Lanka’s external and domestic debt restructuring must be concluded by September, in time for the International Monetary Fund’s review of its $2.9 billion (£2.27 billion) bailout extended in March this year.
The island nation was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.
(With PTI inputs)
