According to the Hindustan Times, Sri Lanka has conveyed to India its decision to prohibit the docking of any Chinese research vessel at its ports for a period of one year.
The move comes after the DailyMirror reported in mid-December that Colombo would impose a moratorium on all foreign research vessels in the country.
One Year Moratorium
The decision was communicated to India through high-level diplomatic channels last week.
To this end, Sri Lanka has decided not to allow any Chinese vessel to operate within its exclusive economic zone over the next year.
The action was taken after Indian PM Narendra Modi urged Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to respect India’s strategic and security concerns during their meeting on 21 July 2023.
The decision means that the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3, which was scheduled to undertake “deep-water exploration” in the southern Indian Ocean from 5 January 2024, will not be given clearance.
After China sought permission from Sri Lanka and Maldives to dock Xiang Yang Hong 3, India raised objections with both countries.
India asked the countries not to allow China to explore the Indian Ocean for future military operations.
Sri Lanka tells India it will not allow any Chinese research vessel to dock at ports or in EEZ - report
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The Daily Mirror report quoted Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry as saying that the decision was made to allow the country to do some capacity development in the meantime so that it can participate in research activities as an equal partner.
He said that the government has communicated the decision to the relevant countries and developed a Standard Operating Procedure for foreign military vessels and aircraft arriving in the country.
It is believed that Sri Lanka has taken the decision to avoid antagonising any country ahead of elections scheduled in 2024.
Indian Concerns
India and the US had red-flagged the entertainment of Chinese scientific research vessels and ballistic missile trackers by Colombo in the Indian Ocean. They also raised concerns regarding Sri Lanka providing logistic support to China.
India has repeatedly raised its voice against increased Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). When asked about reports of the docking of Xiang Yang Hong 3, the third vessel visiting Sri Lanka in the last 15 months, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, “We always monitor developments that may have a bearing on India’s security, and we take necessary measures.”
When Sri Lanka permitted Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 to dock at the Colombo Port, India objected to it.
However, Shi Yan 6 conducted a joint maritime survey with the Sri Lankan naval agency despite India’s concerns that China might use the vessel to spy on India in the name of exploration.
Additionally, New Delhi raised concerns about the Chinese naval warship Hai Yang 24 Hao arriving in Colombo in early August 2023. Subsequently, Sri Lanka delayed its arrival; nonetheless, the warship was permitted to arrive later.
In 2022, China’s research vessel Yuan Wang 5, famous for its spacecraft tracking abilities, arrived at Hambantota port for a week.
New Delhi called the vessel a “spy ship,” after which Sri Lanka asked China not to partake in any research activities while on Sri Lankan waters so as to assuage India’s fears.
China in the Indian Ocean
China is rapidly expanding its footprint across the Indian Ocean with its presumed “String of Pearls” strategy, under which it is building a network of commercial and military bases and ports in different countries in the IOR.
This includes the development of and investment in ports in Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran, the UAE and Djibouti, among others.
The country is mapping the Indian Ocean bed from the ninety-degree ridge south of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands up to the coast of Africa.
Several Chinese vessels are operational off the African coast in the name of anti-piracy operations.
Over 25 Chinese ships, including People’s Liberation Army’s warships, submarines, ballistic missile trackers and research vessels, operated in the IOR in 2023.
At least 48 Chinese scientific research vessels have been deployed in the IOR since 2019, with a focus on the eastern and western coastlines of India and the deep Indian Ocean.
The deployments have caused discomfort to India, which has conveyed the issue to Sri Lanka repeatedly.