Colombo: After a spacecraft-tracking vessel's visit to Sri Lanka's capital city last year raised security worries from India's neighbour, China has asked permission for a research ship to land there.
Beijing requested permission for the Shi Yan 6 to dock, but no date had been established and the request was being processed, according to Priyanga Wickramasinghe, a spokesperson for the Sri Lankan foreign ministry. Shi Yan 6 is described by the Chinese broadcaster as an oceanography, marine geology, and ecological research vessel.
Last year, India raised concerns over a Sri Lanka port call in Hambantota by Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship. India is suspicious of China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka.
Colombo made an effort to allay India's worries last year by requesting that China refrain from conducting any research while in Sri Lankan waters.