After Indian resistance, the US has also expressed its concern regarding the upcoming visit of the alleged Chinese research vessel to the Colombo port. According to Chinese officials, Shiyan 6, the research vessel, is on an ‘expeditionary voyage’ in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean.

During a recent visit, Victoria Nuland, US Undersecretary for Political Affairs, discussed the issue with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Ali Sabray. The bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session.

The Foreign Minister insisted that the Chinese ship was in compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) drafted by Colombo, which obligates foreign ships and aircraft to follow safety protocols and refrain from conducting any activity on Sri Lankan territory. The docking of the ship and other safety procedures have been ensured by the Sri Lankan defense ministry, added Sabray.

The move is questioned by both New Delhi and Washington in light of the Chinese vessels allegedly being space satellite tracker ships. It has emerged as a major security threat to the Indian Maritime bases and those of the US located in the Indian Ocean region. This comes after Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese military ship, used the Hambantota port of Sri Lanka.

-Anushka Upadhyay