Why is India concerned over visit of Chinese spy ship in Sri Lanka?

India is concerned over the visit of a Chinese satellite tracking ship to Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port as it signals an attempt by China to expand its maritime influence in the region.

The ship, Yuan Wang 5, arrived at the strategically located port on August 16 for a replenishment stay for a week.

The ship was originally scheduled to arrive at the Hambantota port on August 11 but it was delayed in absence of permission by the Sri Lankan authorities.

Sri Lanka had asked China to defer the visit amid India’s concerns over it. On August 13, Colombo granted the port access to the vessel from August 16 to 22.

The arrival of the vessel, and the grand welcome accorded to the ship, as it made the port call, only highlights the strong diplomatic ties between Sri Lanka and China, and how the island nation is caught in the geopolitical fight in the Indian Ocean.

Reasons for India’s concerns

The arrival of Yuan Wang 5 cannot be looked at as the only visit of a Chinese vessel. Tensions in diplomatic ties between India and Sri Lanka had come up after Colombo allowed a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine Changzheng 2 to dock at its port in 2014.

Given the technological capabilities of the vessel, India’s southern border, which is strategically close to the Hambantota Port, might be watched.

The ship can track ballistic missiles at the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. Secondly, it can gauge the range and accuracy of Indian missiles. 

Incidentally, Yuan Wang 5, which set out to sail in July, has not stopped in any of the ports on its way. It sailed without any replenishment services till it reached Hambantota. As per the Sri Lankan government, the ship is supposed to be docked at the Hambantota port till August 22 for “replenishment purposes”. However, sources say that the vessel may also carry out oceanic surveys, which can facilitate submarine operations in the Indian Ocean. 

Meanwhile Sri Lanka has said that the ship will have to keep its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched on and is not allowed to carry out any scientific research in the region.

It may be recalled that in 2021, a Chinese survey ship called Xiang Yang Hong 03 carried out search operations west of Sumatra. Xian Yang Hong also carried out operations in the same region in the Indian Ocean. 

“I would certainly say that, more than the ship by itself, given the technology involved, they may be able to study the strategic assets even from the open sea. The Hambantota Port is on lease with China for 99 years. So, a frequent visit of dual purpose vessels of this kind should be a greater cause for concern. This is the standard practice of every big power in similar circumstances,” said foreign policy analyst N. Sathiyamoorthy.  

Sathiyamoorthy also said that the vessel arriving at Hambantota need not be linked to China’s activities at the Galwan valley. “This is because even before Galwan, in 2014, two of China’s submarines docked at the Colombo Port, under similar circumstances. It is not just the land-border dispute, we have to look at it from the larger Indian Ocean space perspective,” points out Sathiyamoorthy.

From a foreign policy perspective, sources in Sri Lanka say the Indian establishment did not assess what would happen if India pushed too hard on its southern neighbour.

India gifts Dornier aircraft to Sri Lanka

India gifted a Dornier Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft on August 15 towards strengthening the maritime security of Sri Lanka at a special event held in Sri Lanka Air Force Base, Katunayake. 

Navy and Air Force personnel of Sri Lanka who received training in India for close to four months shall operate the aircraft. They will also receive operational support from their Indian counterparts.

The aircraft would act as a force multiplier, enabling Sri Lanka to tackle multiple challenges such as human and drug trafficking, smuggling and other organised forms of crime in its coastal waters more effectively. 

This article originally appeared in The Week.