Sri Lanka’s government on Saturday allowed a Chinese research vessel to dock at the island’s major port, despite Indian fears that the vessel may be spying on its military facilities.

Online platforms for monitoring and analyzing marine data describe the Yuan Wang 5 ship as a research vessel, but the Indian press writes that it will actually be a vessel equipped for espionage operations, the Agence France Presse reported on Saturday, taken by Agerpres. .

India is concerned about China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean, regions that the New Delhi government considers its spheres of influence.

The Yuan Wang 5 was originally scheduled to dock at the Chinese port of Hambantota, but after Indian protests, Colombo authorities repeatedly denied the ship’s requests to enter the port.

In the end, the Chinese ship was allowed to stay at the port of Hambantota from August 16 to 22 “in the spirit of good understanding” with China, especially since Sri Lanka needs international economic assistance, said foreign ministry sources in Colombo.

India warns of “any consequences for its security and economic interests”

Representatives of the local port reported that the Chinese vessel was almost a thousand kilometers southeast of Sri Lanka on Friday evening and was heading to the port of Hambantota.

The port was given to China in a 99-year concession after Sri Lanka in 2017 did not have the funds to pay Beijing the due installments of a loan it had granted it for the construction of the port.

According to the Indian station CNN-News18, Yuan Wang 5 is a dual-purpose reconnaissance ship used for space and satellite monitoring, and especially for intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The Indian government expressed concern that the Chinese ship could be spying on its military activities and facilities. Therefore, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi warned of “any consequences for the security and economic interests of India, which will take all necessary measures to protect them.”