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Reuters
Colombo — Sri Lanka has asked China to postpone a planned visit of a Chinese research vessel to the island nation after opposition from India, government sources told Reuters on Sunday.
The Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 was still on its way to Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. According to Refinitiv shipping data, she is expected to arrive on August 11th.
India is concerned that the Hambantota port, built and leased by China, will be used by China as a military base in India's backyard. The $1.5 billion port sits near major shipping routes from Asia to Europe.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
Last week, a Sri Lankan government spokesperson said the ship had only called at Hambantota to refuel.
China is one of Sri Lanka's biggest lenders, she also finances airports, roads and railroads, upsetting India.
India provided nearly $4 billion of her aid this year alone as Sri Lanka faces its worst economic crisis in 70 years.
Diplomatic relations between India and China have been strained since military clashes along the remote Himalayan border in 2020. At least 20 Indian soldiers and her four Chinese soldiers were killed in the battle, leading to massive military build-ups on both sides.
Foreign security analysts say the Yuanwang-5 is one of China's newest space-tracking vessels, used to monitor launches of satellites, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles. It is explained that
(Reporting by Waruna Cudah Nimal Karunatilake, Colombo; additional reporting by Martin Pollard, Beijing; authoring by Shilpa Jamkhandikar)
