Sri Lanka says China survey ship can dock in its port
By Waruna Cudah Nimal Karunatilake
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka mentioned on Saturday it has agreed that the Chinese language survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 can dock at its southernmost port, the Chinese language-run Hambantota on August 16, regardless of safety considerations raised by neighbouring India and america.
Overseas safety analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as considered one of China’s newest technology space-tracking ships, used to observe satellite tv for pc, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
Each China and India have tried to develop their affect in Sri Lanka, which is dealing with its worst financial disaster in its post-independence historical past.
India has offered extra assist to Sri Lanka this yr than another nation. But it surely fears its larger and extra highly effective rival China will use the Hambantota port close to the principle Asia-Europe delivery route as a navy base.
Sri Lanka formally handed over business actions on the port to a Chinese language firm in 2017 on a 99-year lease after struggling to repay its debt.
The Pentagon says Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Help Power of the Folks’s Liberation Military.
On Friday, India rejected claims that it has put stress on Sri Lanka to show the vessel away.
“We reject categorically the ‘insinuation’ and such assertion about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign nation and makes its personal unbiased selections,” Arindam Bagchi, a overseas ministry spokesman, mentioned.
(Writing by Rupam Jain; Enhancing by Ros Russell)
