Weeks After Security Talks With Prime Minister Modi, Sri Lanka Reviews China's Request To Dock Research Ship

According to a spokesperson from the Sri Lankan foreign ministry, China has requested permission for a research ship to dock in the country.

This comes a year after a Chinese spy vessel's visit to Sri Lanka raised security concerns in India.

The Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka has submitted an application for the research ship's visit, which is currently being reviewed by the foreign ministry. No specific dates have been set for the visit this time, as per a report by The Hindu.

The Chinese research vessel 'SHI YAN 6' is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka in October for marine research activities.

In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts between India and Sri Lanka, highlighting the need to consider each other's security concerns.

During a two-day visit to India, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed mutual consensus on a "shared vision" aimed at strengthening their economic cooperation.

The current draught of the research/survey vessel is reported to be 5.3 metre, with an overall length of 90.6 metre and a width of 17 metre. It has a carrying capacity of 1,115 deadweight tonnage.

There is a lot of talk in the media about the foreign office in Colombo being in a difficult position regarding the request. This is due to concerns being raised by India.

The vessel is expected to collaborate with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency to conduct research.

Chinese vessels regularly visit Sri Lanka, and just two weeks ago, the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Navy warship HAI YANG 24 HAO arrived in the country for a two-day visit.

The arrival of the ship, measuring 129 metre in length, faced a delay due to concerns raised by India.

Last year in August, India strongly reacted to the visit of the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, 'Yuan Wang 5', which arrived at the port of Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka.

Apprehensions arose in New Delhi regarding the possibility of the vessel's tracking systems attempting to gather intelligence on Indian defence installations while en route to the Sri Lankan port.

Eventually, Sri Lanka permitted the ship to dock at the strategically important southern port of Hambantota, which is currently under construction by a Chinese company.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka views both India and China as equally important partners in its efforts to restructure its external debt. China, in particular, is one of the leading lenders to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka currently has a debt of $7.1 billion to bilateral creditors, with $3 billion of that owed to China.

Negotiations for the restructuring of Sri Lanka's external and domestic debt must be completed by September, as this coincides with the International Monetary Fund's review of the $2.9 billion bailout that was extended in March of this year.

In 2022, Sri Lanka experienced an unprecedented financial crisis, the most severe since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. This crisis was primarily caused by a severe shortage of foreign exchange reserves.