Sri Lanka grants permission to Chinese spy ship to dock at Hambantota

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Sri Lanka has given permission Chinese spy ship Yuan Wang-5 to dock at the Hambantota Port, the media reported. On August 16, the ship will dock at the Hambantota Port. It was previously scheduled to arrive at the Hambantota Port on August 11.

India raised serious concerns with the Sri Lankan government, and the Chinese government agreed to postpone the date till further notice. In a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday, US Ambassador Julie Chung expressed her concerns regarding the ship.

According to the media reports, the Sri Lankan government asked India and the United States to explain their disagreement about the ship docking, but neither side provided “concrete reasons” thus the government approved the docking.

According to foreign security analysts, the Yuan Wang 5 is one of China’s most advanced space-tracking ships, designed to follow satellite, rocket, and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. According to the Pentagon, the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army.

On August 8, China slammed India for its “completely unjustified” citing of “security concerns” to pressure Colombo and “grossly interfere” in its internal matters. “We urge the relevant parties to see China’s marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka,” a Chinese foreign ministry official said.

On Friday, India denied China’s claim that New Delhi pressed Colombo to postpone the docking. “Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said.