India reaches out to SL military officials near Hambantota ahead of arrival of China’s recon ship

India has reached out to the top brass of Sri Lankan military bases near the Hambantota Port as the island nation’s authorities decided to go ahead and allow China’s scientific research vessel ‘Yuan Wang 5’ to dock at the port from August 11 to 17.

President Ranil Wickremesingh’s government decided to allow ‘Yuan Wang 5’ to dock at Hambantota Port, although India formally conveyed to Sri Lanka its concern over the arrival of China’s research vessel in the Indian Ocean region. The ship is one of the four of its class used by the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy to track satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The officials of the Consulate General of India in Hambantota met Major General Lanka Amarapala, the Commanding Officer of the 12th Division of the Sri Lankan Army, at a military base located near the port on Thursday. India’s consul general in the main town of the southern province of Sri Lanka, Dipin P R, was accompanied by Assistant Defence Advisor, Lt Col Puneet Sushil, during the meeting.

They had on Wednesday met Group Captain Ashoka Koralage, the Commanding Officer of the Sri Lankan Air Force base at Weerawila near Hambantota, according to the tweets by the Consulate General of India in the coastal city in the southern province of the Indian Ocean nation.

New Delhi started reaching out to the top Sri Lankan military officials based in and around Hambantota, after the Ministry of Defence of the island nation’s government in Colombo sought to play down the arrival of China’s research ship, apparently for surveying the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean.

Beijing has since long been known for using its research ships not only for collecting hydrographic data, but also for maritime surveillance and gathering intelligence, be it in South China Sea or East China Sea or in other locations in the Indo-Pacific. New Delhi is particularly concerned over China’s bid to build strategic maritime assets around India and its People’s Liberation Army Navy’s repeated forays in the Indian Ocean region.

The Embassy of India in Colombo already took up the issue with the office of the president of Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Defence of the Sri Lankan government, however, sought to allay New Delhi’s concerns, stating that Yuan Wang would dock at Hambantota Port only for refuelling and replenishing its stock of food and other essentials.

New Delhi is worried over the ship’s foray in the Indian Ocean region amid China’s growing belligerence across Taiwan Strait in the wake of the visit of the United States House of Representative, Nancy Pelosi, to Taipei on Monday and Tuesday.

China’s debt-trap diplomacy had earlier made Sri Lanka lease out its Hambantota Port for 99 years, causing security concerns for India.

“The government carefully monitors any developments having a bearing on India's security and economic interests, and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi last week, adding: “I think that should be a clear message.”

The then Sri Lankan government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa as President had in 2014 allowed a nuclear submarine of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy dock at the Colombo Port for days, raising hackles in New Delhi.