The Sri Lankan government has allowed the Yuan Wang 5 Chinese research ship to dock at the southern port of Hambantota on August 16, official sources said on Saturday.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued the necessary authorization to the Harbor Master to allow the ship to dock at the Hambantota port from the 16th to the 22nd of this month. The Ministry has issued an official announcement regarding the matter.
The ship has now entered the seas 600 nautical miles away east of Hambantota, according to the ships tracking websites and awaiting clearance to enter Sri Lankan waters.
The voyage of the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship had become a matter of wide diplomatic attention as India expressed concern over the arrival of the ship in its backyard.
The, Yuan Wang 5, was earlier scheduled to arrive on last Thursday and remain at the port until August 17 for replenishment, but the Sri Lankan government had requested the Chinese government to delay its arrival due to security concerns raised by India.
Meanwhile, the Indian government said yesterday that it rejects the accusations of exerting pressure on Sri Lanka regarding the journey of the Chinese ship.
Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in the weekly press conference that Sri Lanka is a sovereign state and there is no obstacle for the country to take decisions related to it.
However, Bagchi has said India carefully monitors any development having a bearing on its security and economic interests.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said today that the government will take steps to resolve the issue of the ship at the diplomatic level.
Yuan Wang 5 is one of China’s latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
