
Chinese 'spy' ship Yuan Wang-5 docks at Sri Lanka's Hambantota port despite concerns expressed by India
Chinese 'spy' ship Yuan Wang-5 on Tuesday docked at Sri Lanka's Hambantota port amid concerns expressed by the Indian government, local media reports confirmed.
"The Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 reached the Hambantota Port this morning," Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror newspaper tweeted.
Breaking News: The Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 reached the Hambantota Port this morning#China #lka #HambantotaPort pic.twitter.com/QK2SKfXRln
— DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) August 16, 2022
India is concerned that the vessel could spy on New Delhi's military installations.
Designated as a research stroke survey vessel, Yuan Wang 5 was built in 2007 and has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes.
The Hambantota International Port is located just 250 kilometres from Colombo city.
The port was built with high-interest Chinese loans.
The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt they had taken from China following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease, reports ANI.