Sri Lanka’s harbour master, Nirmal P Silva, has told the AFP News Agency that the Foreign Ministry has cleared for the Chinese Naval vessel ‘Yuan Wang 5’ ship to call at Hambantota.
An official statement by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry dated 13 August says, “On 12 August 2022 the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China informed the Ministry via Diplomatic Note that the Vessel YUAN WANG 5 was scheduled to arrive in the port of Hambantota on 16 August, 2022 and applied for clearance for replenishment purposes for the new dates 16 to 22 August, 2022. Having considered all material in place, on 13 August, 2022 the clearance to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China was conveyed for the deferred arrival of the vessel from 16-22 August, 2022.”
It was communicated to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo by Note Verbale dated 12 July 2022, that ‘clearance for the Chinese scientific Research Vessel Yuang Wang 5,’ to call on the Hambantota Port was granted.
The Chinese Mission in Colombo was informed that the vessel could be in Sri Lanka subject to the caveat that they keep the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on within Sri Lanka and that no scientific research must be conducted in Sri Lankan waters.
As India was aware of the same, there was growing pressure on the Sri Lanka Government to intervene.
According to an official statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka dated 08 August, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo had been informed to defer the visit of the vessel to the Hambantota port, ‘in light of the need for further consultations.’
