Shin Yan 6: Sri Lanka allows 48-hour research window to Chinese vessel amid spying concerns
Shin Yan 6
Sri Lanka has permitted the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 to conduct marine research under supervision for a two-day period along its west coast, according to the country's foreign ministry.
The vessel, which had been in Colombo since Wednesday, was initially allowed into the main port for "replenishments" amid concerns about its potential use for espionage.
The decision to allow marine research under monitoring comes in response to India's previous security concerns regarding China's increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its strategic influence in Sri Lanka.
Security concerns and surveillance
Sri Lanka had previously expressed concerns about the ship's potential espionage capabilities.
To address these concerns, the vessel has been granted a limited timeframe for research activities, with local scientists and researchers onboard, along with monitoring by the Sri Lanka navy.
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The vessel, Shi Yan 6, measures 90 metresand is anchored at Colombo harbour, which is operated by a Chinese state-run company. In the past, the docking of Chinese submarines in Sri Lanka had raised protests from India, further fueling regional security apprehensions.
Also read |Chinese ‘research vessel’ Shin Yan 6 docks at Colombo Port amid India’s security concerns
Chinese state broadcaster CGTN categorises Shi Yan 6 as a "scientific research vessel" with a crew of 60, focusing on oceanography, geology, and marine ecology tests. However, similar vessels, such as the Yuan Wang 5, have raised suspicions due to their potential dual-use capabilities for spacecraft tracking. The latter vessel, which specialises in spacecraft tracking, had visited Sri Lanka the previous year and docked in Hambantota port, located in the south of Sri Lanka, under a 99-year lease with a Chinese company.
Why is India concerned?
Disguised as conducting scientific examinations in the Indian Ocean, Chinese vessels are presently engaged in extensive surveys across vast regions of the Indian Ocean Region.
The data collected is of immense significance for Chinese submarines manoeuvring through the shallow waters of the Malacca Strait and traversing the Eastern Indian Ocean, a situation causing significant apprehension for India.
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