New Delhi: Another Chinese vessel — the second in 14 months — has docked in Sri Lanka amid growing concerns in India about Beijing’s increased activity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Shiyan 6, described by China as a research vessel, arrived at the Colombo port Wednesday.
In August 2022, China’s Yuan Wang 5 had sailed into Hambantota, which was leased to China in 2017 as part of Sri Lanka’s efforts to pay off its debt to Beijing.
While Sri Lanka had referred to Yuan Wang 5 as a “scientific research ship”, several media reports at the time called it a “dual-use spy ship”.
Shiyan 6 has been given permission to dock for replenishment till 28 October, Sri Lankan foreign ministry spokesperson Kapila Fonseka has been quoted as saying.
According to a report by news agency Associated Press, the vessel was expected to carry out research with Sri Lankan state institutions, but no permission was granted for that. “The particular permission is very clear,” Fonseka said.
Hindustan Times had reported earlier this month that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had raised the issue of the ship with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
It quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Wickremesinghe is “considering India’s request to not allow Chinese Survey and Research Vessel Shi Yan 6 to undertake a joint military scientific research with the island nation’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone”.
Just last month, Jaishankar said it was “very reasonable” for India to “actually prepare” for a far greater Chinese presence than seen before in the Indian Ocean, when asked about Beijing’s activity in the region.
“…There’s been a very sharp increase in the size of the Chinese navy. So when you have a very much bigger navy, that navy is going to be obviously visible in terms of its deployment somewhere,” he said, citing Chinese port-building in Hambantota and Pakistan’s Gwadar as examples.
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About Shiyan 6
Chinese media reports describe Shiyan 6 as a $77 million geophysical scientific research vessel that began its current expeditionary voyage on 10 September.
The vessel departed from Guangzhou in China and is exploring the eastern area of the Indian Ocean.
Shiyan 6 measures 90.6 metres in length and 17.6 metres in width, has an open deck area of over 600 square metres, and can carry a 60-member crew for 60 days at sea, according to a report by Chinese television network CGTN.
The current voyage has reportedly been organised by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), which is a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is scheduled to operate at sea for 80 days. There are 28 scientific research projects planned by 13 research teams that are aboard the vessel – covering a total of 12,000 nautical miles (roughly 22,200 kilometres), CGTN reported.
Its reported objectives include studying biodiversity and paleoclimate changes, and strengthening scientific research and exchanges between countries along the ‘Maritime Silk Road’ as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Among the concerns surrounding the vessel is that it can conduct seabed surveys, which are crucial to submarine operations.
Last year, Yuan Wang 5, a ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, was initially scheduled to dock at Hambantota on 11 August. After protests from India, the ship was delayed, eventually docking at the port on 16 August and departing Sri Lanka on 22 August 2022.
In November 2022, days before a planned missile test by India, the Yuan Wang 6 had entered the Indian Ocean. The test was cancelled and rescheduled for later in the month.
Sri Lanka’s economic troubles
Sri Lanka is among the many nations that took loans from China for infrastructure development under the BRI. These projects include the port at Hambantota, which Sri Lanka had to eventually lease out to Beijing for 99 years.
In April 2022, Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy with more than $83 billion in debt — about half of it to foreign creditors.
Sri Lanka sought an International Monetary Fund bailout. While a $2.9 billion programme was approved, the second tranche of funds hit a snag.
This was resolved about two weeks ago when Sri Lanka came to an agreement with the China Export-Import Bank to restructure a $4.2 billion outstanding loan.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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