The impending visit of the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5, which is scheduled to dock at Hambantota Port in southern Sri Lanka for conducting “space tracking, satellite control and research tracking in the North-Western part of the Indian Ocean” is a cause of concern for the Indian government.
The spokesperson of Srilanka’s ministry of defence announced at a recent press conference that “the vessel will be in Hambantota from August 11 to 17, mainly for replenishment, including fuel.” He offered reassurance by saying that “Such vessels periodically come from various countries such as India, China, Japan, Australia,” and that “it is nothing unusual”. The announcement arrived as a surprise as the defence ministry completely denied any such agenda only a few days earlier.
