The “Yuan Wang 5”, officially a ship “research and study”, was to stop on August 11 in the port of Hambantota in order to refuel. Colombo had to postpone the stay of the ship before the protests of India.
Le Monde with AFP
A Chinese research vessel finally accosted on Tuesday August 16, in the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota, under Chinese management, announced the port authorities, despite the concern of India and the United States who feared Chinese espionage activities.
The Yuan Wang 5 was authorized to dock provided that he does no research during his stay in Sri Lankan waters, said port officials, after consultations with India, States- United and China. The Chinese ship will also have to keep its automatic identification system (AIS) lit in the exclusive economic zone of Sri Lanka.
It is presented by specialized sites as a “research and study” ship but, according to the Indian channel CNN-News18, it is a double-use spy building, employee for monitoring space and satellites, and used specifically for launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Beijing, main bilateral creditor of Sri Lanka
The Yuan Wang 5 left the Chinese port of Jiangyin on July 13 and was initially stopped on August 11 in the port of Hambantota, managed by a Chinese company. But Colombo had to push the stay of the ship before the Indian protests. After intense diplomatic negotiations, Colombo turned on Saturday and announced that it had authorized the boat to dock in Hambantota and stay there until August 22.
India is concerned about the growing influence of China in Sri Lanka, which has risen strongly over the years to Beijing to develop major infrastructure projects. In 2017, Colombo found himself unable to ensure the service of his debt of $ 1.4 billion contracted with Beijing for the construction of Hambantota and had to yield the port for ninety-nine years to a Chinese company.
China remains the main bilateral creditor of Sri Lanka, holding more than 10 % of the country’s external debt. The Sri Lanka, which was lacking on its $ 51 billion external debt in mid-April, is in negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a view to a possible bailout. Beijing’s support is essential for the country, plunged into a serious economic crisis, can restructure its debt before being able to claim the help of the IMF. 2> “India and China help us all The two ”
At the beginning of the month, the Sri Lankan authorities had sought to reassure India by affirming that the Chinese ship came to refuel in particular in fuel and would not engage in any activity during its stay in Sri Lankan waters. Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of the Cabinet, said that Chinese research ships had already made eighteen stays of this nature in Sri Lanka.
New Delhi had warned of “any impact on India’s security and economic interests [which] would take all the necessary measures to safeguard them”. Sri-Lanka government spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena said that the cabinet wanted to respond “diplomatically” to the “concerns” of New Delhi.
“India and China both help us in this very crucial period when we are faced with an unprecedented economic crisis,” he said. On Tuesday, on the eve of the arrival of the Chinese ship, India offered Sri Lanka a Dornier 228 plane in order to strengthen the island’s maritime surveillance capacities. The plane is responsible for equipment to monitor and blur the electronic signals.
The island of 22 million inhabitants ends serious shortages of food, fuel and medication since the end of 2021, due to the lack of currencies to finance essential imports.