India had earlier raised the issue with the Sri Lankan authorities in Colombo and wanted to know the purpose of the visit. The research vessel Yuan Wang 5 was scheduled to arrive at the Chinese-built port of Hambantota on 11 August and conduct “space tracking, satellite control and research tracking” in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region. The issue was raised in the Parliament of India and concerns were expressed about possible movements of the ship.
“Sri Lanka disregarded India’s security interests by agreeing to first dock a Chinese military ship at a commercial port, despite learning that the surveillance vessel was involved in mapping the ocean floor for potential anti-submarine operations against the Indian Navy. It was only after India opposed Sri Lanka’s action did Colombo urge China to defer the date of the ship’s arrival,” said strategic affairs expert Brahm Chelane.
“Letting the Chinese military vessel dock at Hambantota would have added to Sri Lanka’s other Indo-unfriendly actions since 2014, when the two Chinese submarines docked separately at a new, Chinese-built container terminal at Colombo Port,” he said. ,” They said.
TOI had reported on 2 August that India had taken up the issue with Sri Lanka. The joint approval by the ministries of external affairs and defense for the ship to dock at the Hambantota post was given a few days before the new Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed office. China defended the visit, asking all “relevant parties” not to interfere in “normal and lawful maritime activities”.
Under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was seen as responsible for Beijing’s economic embrace of the island nation, the Chinese submarine Changzheng 2 was twice allowed to dock at Colombo port despite protests from India. A 1987 bilateral agreement explicitly states that Sri Lanka shall not make any port in the country available for military use by any foreign country in a manner prejudicial to India’s interests. The agreement also calls on both countries not to allow the use of their respective territories for activities that may undermine each other’s security.
The Hambantota port, which failed to generate enough traffic due to poor growth rates, has long been seen as an example of Sri Lanka’s reckless spending, which is now facing an economic crisis. With not enough commercial traffic, it is also feared that China would like to use it as a naval facility.