Sri Lanka Doubtful To India Over Permission To Chinese Survey Vessel (Image:Twitter/DrSJaishankar)
India requested to not allow the Chinese Survey and Research Vessel Shin Yan 6 to undertake a joint military-scientific-research mission with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). The research was about to take place in the island nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone between late October and November this year, reported the Hindustan Times.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is reportedly considering India’s request. His response to India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, during Mr Jaishankar’s visit to the Sri Lankan President on October 11 was non-committal.
The ship is currently positioned 500 km east of Tamil Nadu’s Chennai in the Bay of Bengal. It is maintaining a position of 1,000 km east of the China-controlled Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has already given permission to the Chinese ship for docking at the Colombo deep seaport in November, The Island Newspaper quoted Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali Sabry. He also said that his country has no plans to “get involved” with “big power rivalry going on” between “China, India, and the United States”. Over the past five years, Chinese ships have been active in the Indian Ocean region, and the number increased notably. But both Sri Lanka and China dismissed New Delhi’s concerns and permitted the ship for its routine marine march.
The ship is reportedly loaded with enough supplies to survive more than two months and it entered the Indian Ocean Region on September 23. During the Sri Lankan President’s visit, Indian Prime Minister in July said that it was necessary to work the two countries together understanding and coordinating each other’s security interests. However, the final decision regarding the ship may be taken by Sri Lanka, and is expected to be resolved by Mr Wickremesinghe’s visit to Beijing on October 17-18 to attend the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) Summit, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The USNS Brunswick, a US navy ship, is already docked in Colombo on Wednesday, and no dates have yet been announced for the visit of Shi Yan 6.
Meanwhile, India flagged the ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka, on Saturday. The service between the neighbouring countries will enhance “connectivity, promote trade and reinforce the longstanding bonds between the nations”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the flag off event virtually.
