Arrival of Chinese Navy ship at Sri Lanka port, India fears espionage

 A Chinese navy ship has arrived at a Beijing-built port in southern Sri Lanka, which is being viewed with suspicion in India.

According to the American news agency Associated Press, earlier the port call of the Chinese Navy ship was delayed due to security concerns raised by India.

Chinese ship Yuan Wang 5 left for Hambantota port and was welcomed by Sri Lankan and Chinese officials on Tuesday morning.

The development could raise concerns in India as it views China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean with suspicion.

Sri Lanka has described the Yuan Wang 5 as a 'scientific research vessel' but India fears that the vessel could be used for surveillance in the region.

A number of Indian media reports have described it as a 'dual-purpose spy ship'.

The Indian Express newspaper wrote that the Yuan Wang 5 is a powerful tracking ship whose special air reach (reportedly around 750 km) means that several ports in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh could be on China's radar. are.'

The developments around the ship are being closely watched and all this shows the rivalry between India and China in Sri Lanka.

It should be noted that for more than a decade, China and India have been seen competing to increase their influence in Sri Lanka's strategic location in the Indian Ocean and the busiest shipping lane.

According to the Associated Press, over the years China has been seen as the dominant country in terms of its liberalized lending and infrastructure investment, but Sri Lanka's recent economic collapse has created an opportunity for India to gain more influence. .

During this crisis, India has provided massive financial and material assistance to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said late last week that the ship was allowed to dock at Hambantota until August 22.

The foreign ministry statement added that China has agreed that the ship will not conduct any research activities while in Sri Lankan waters.

International affairs analyst Ranga Kalansuriya has said that "Given the geopolitical dynamics in the region and Sri Lanka's significant weakness on the economic front, Sri Lanka is playing with fire from two sides at the diplomatic level."

The Yuanwang group of ships serves under both the Chinese missile force and the space program run by China's People's Liberation Army.