Chinese ship that docked at Sri Lanka port, leaves after 6 days

International

oi-Deepika S

Colombo,
Aug
22:
Chinese
spy
and
research
ship
docked
at
the
strategically
important
Hambantota
port
departed
from
Sri
Lankan
waters
on
Monday
after
a
controversial
six-day
visit.

The
ballistic
missile
and
satellite
tracking
ship
‘Yuan
Wang
5’ ship
was
originally
scheduled
to
arrive
at
the
Chinese-run
port
on
August
11
but
it
was
delayed
in
absence
of
permission
by
Sri
Lankan
authorities
following
security
concerns
raised
by
India.

The
Chinese
ship
arrived
in
the
southern
Sri
Lankan
port
of
Hambantota
on
August
16
at
8:20
am
local
time.
It
was
docked
there
for
replenishment.

The
ship
left
the
port
at
4
pm
local
time,
harbour
master
Nirmal
Silva
told
reporters
here.

Its
next
port
call
is
at
China’s
Jiang
Yin
port,
officials
said.

The
Hambantota
port
officials
said
as
agreed
there
was
no
rotation
of
personnel
during
the
call.
Sri
Lanka
provided
the
necessary
assistance
sought
by
the
Chinese
embassy
here
during
the
ship’s
visit.

Sri
Lanka
had
asked
China
to
defer
the
visit
amid
India’s
concerns
over
it.
On
August
13,
Colombo
granted
the
port
access
to
the
vessel
from
August
16
to
22
on
condition
that
it
will
keep
the
Automatic
Identification
System
(AIS)
switched
on
within
the
Exclusive
Economic
Zone
(EEZ)
of
Sri
Lanka
and
no
scientific
research
to
be
conducted
in
Sri
Lankan
waters.

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is
effective:
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backs
Jaishankar’s
remarks
on
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Century

Sri
Lanka
has
said
that
the
security
clearance
was
granted
from
the
Ministry
of
Defence
for
the
visit
of
the
vessel
for
replenishment
purposes
during
the
stipulated
period.

It
said
no
rotation
of
personnel
would
take
place
during
the
port
call
and
the
Sri
Lankan
government
was
requested
to
provide
the
necessary
assistance
by
the
Chinese
Embassy
in
Colombo.

The
security
and
cooperation
in
the
neighbourhood
are
of
utmost
priority
in
handling
the
issue
of
the
Chinese
vessel
Wang
Yang
5,
the
Sri
Lankan
Foreign
Ministry
said
in
a
statement
earlier
this
month.

The
local
telecommunications
regulatory
authority
had
issued
a
No
Objection
Letter
for
the
use
of
frequencies
and
communication
equipment
subject
to
non-interference
and
non-protection
basis.

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.

China
says
the
ship
is
used
for
scientific
research,
but
the
US
Defence
Department
says
the
ship
is
under
the
command
of
China’s
People’s
Liberation
Army
(PLA)
and
is
capable
of
tracking
satellites
and
missile
launches.

The
ship’s
arrival
at
the
Hambantota
port
became
controversial
as
China
leased
the
port
from
Sri
Lanka
in
2017
for
99
years
after
Colombo
failed
to
pay
debts
related
to
the
construction
of
the
facility.

Colombo’s
nod
to
the
docking
of
the
Chinese
research
vessel
was
crucial
as
the
cash-strapped
Sri
Lankan
government
is
seeking
an
early
bailout
from
the
International
Monetary
Fund
(IMF).

China
is
a
major
creditor
of
Sri
Lanka,
and
is
vital
to
Sri
Lanka’s
efforts
to
restructure
its
debt
to
secure
a
bailout
from
the
IMF.