Sri Lanka banned foreign research vessels from entering its waters for a year
Sri Lanka has decided to ban foreign research vessels from entering its territorial waters for a year from early January 2024, TASS reports
Sri Lanka must develop its own capacity to participate in scientific ocean research, simultaneously being on an equal footing with other countries, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Sabry said.
Sabry also added that Sri Lanka is committed to acting in a manner that does not antagonise any country on issues of geopolitical significance.
The ban was reportedly introduced following China’s request for permission for its research vessel to enter Sri Lankan waters again in January 2024.
Despite Indian objections, in October 2023, the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 docked at Sri Lanka’s Colombo port and conducted research in the Indian Ocean with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). Earlier, in October 2022, India was forced to postpone tests of the 3,000-km Agni-3 missile due to the presence of the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 6 off the coast of the country.
According to Indian media, although officially the Chinese vessels of the Yuan Wang class are intended for oceanic exploration, they are also considered as dual-purpose reconnaissance ships. They are believed to be used for space and satellite tracking, as well as for monitoring Indian defence installations and testing missile weapons.
REFERENCE: China’s increased influence in Sri Lanka is causing concern for India due to the fact that the island nation is its only neighbour in the Indian Ocean.
