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China Says India ‘Obstructing’ International Law After Delayed Docking at Sri Lankan Port

Despite China’s insistence that the Yuan Wang 5 is strictly a research vessel, it is believed that such research exercises are a guise to increase maritime surveillance and gather intelligence.

August 17, 2022
China Says India ‘Obstructing’ International Law After Delayed Docking at Sri Lankan Port
Yuan Wang 5
IMAGE SOURCE: BUSINESS TODAY

China has asked India not to “obstruct” international law after its high-tech research vessel, Yuan Wang 5, reached Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port following a week’s delay, reportedly at India’s insistence.

During his regular press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed that the Yuan Wang 5 had reached Sri Lanka on Tuesday afternoon and that its arrival had been met with “active cooperation from the Sri Lankan side.” Wang also revealed that Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong hosted a welcoming ceremony on-site where the atmosphere was “warm and welcoming.” He added that it would “take some time” for the research ship “to complete the replenishment of necessary supplies after the docking.”

Alluding to the concerns raised by the Indian government regarding the ship’s activities in the Indian Ocean, Wang asserted  that “the marine scientific research activities” of the Yuan Wang-5 ship are “consistent with international law and international customary practice.” In further reference to New Delhi, Wang said that the ship’s purpose did not “affect the security and economic interests of any country” and therefore, its presence should not be “obstructed” by “any third party.”

Wang’s comments come after India raised objections to the possibility that the vessel might be used for spying purposes in the region. To this end, New Delhi stated last month that it will keep a close watch on all issues that impact its “security and economic interests” and stands ready to take “all necessary measures to safeguard them.”

Following India’s objections, Sri Lanka asked China to indefinitely delay sending the vessel. In a written request, Colombo’s foreign ministry requested the Chinese embassy in Colombo to defer the arrival date of the vessel “until further consultations” could be made on the matter. In addition, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured party leaders that the visit would not go ahead as planned. Despite the notice, however, the Yuan Wang 5 continued to make its journey to the Sri Lankan port.

However, in its latest statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied pressuring Sri Lanka to delay the vessel’s docking. During a media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that he was aware of the speculation that New Delhi had pressured Colombo on the matter. However, he “categorically rejected” the reports and stated that Sri Lanka is a “sovereign country” that makes “its own independent decisions.”

Referring to India’s security concerns surrounding the ship, Bagchi said that it is Sri Lanka’s “sovereign right” and that New Delhi could only “make the best judgment” in “(its) own interest.” “This naturally takes into account the prevailing situation in the region, especially in our border areas. And insofar as in the context of India and China […] we have consistently maintained the necessity of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest as the basis of development of ties,” he added.

According to the Belt & Road Initiative Sri Lanka (BRISL), a Sri Lankan consulting firm, the Yuan Wang 5 will remain in the Hambantota port for a week to “conduct space tracking, satellite control and research tracking in the north-western part of the Indian Ocean region through August and September.”  BRISL added that the ship provides an “excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka and the regional developing nations to learn and develop their own space programs.”


Yuan Wang 5 Coverage:


Despite its description of being a research vessel, it is believed that such research exercises are a guise to increase maritime surveillance and gather intelligence. The Yuan Wang 5 is a dual-purpose spy ship, which Beijing utilises for space and satellite tracking and with specific usage in intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The Yuan Wang 5 is the first such naval vessel to dock at a Sri Lankan port since 2014. In fact, Beijing controls the Hambantota Port via a 99-year lease it signed in 2019. 

India has sought to push back against rising Chinese influence on the island and has provided Sri Lanka with over $4 billion in currency swaps, lines of credit, and food and diesel deliveries since the beginning of the year.