Chinese research ship Shi Yan 6 requests Sri Lanka port call, raising possible security concerns in India

Last year, India raised concerns over a port call by the Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship

India is suspicious of China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka, seeing both as firmly within its sphere of influence

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Sri Lankan port workers hold a Chinese national flag to welcome Chinese research ship Yuan Wang 5 at the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on August 16, 2022. Photo: AP

Published: 5:44pm, 22 Aug 2023

China has requested permission for a research ship to dock in Sri Lanka, Colombo said Tuesday, following a visit by a spacecraft-tracking vessel last year that sparked security concerns from neighbouring India.

Sri Lankan foreign ministry spokeswoman Priyanga Wickramasinghe said Beijing had sought permission for the Shi Yan 6 to dock, but that no date had been set and the request was being processed.

Chinese state broadcaster CGTN calls the Shi Yan 6 a “scientific research vessel” crewed by 60 that carries out oceanography, marine geology and marine ecology tests.

Last year, India raised concerns over a Sri Lanka port call in Hambantota by Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship.

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Chinese research ship docks at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port amid heightened regional tensions

India is suspicious of China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka, seeing both as firmly within its sphere of influence.