India flags concerns of Yuang Wang docking in Lanka, says it gives Chinese navy a comfort zone

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New
Delhi,
Aug
17:
Sri
Lanka
gave
into
immense
pressure
from
China
and
allowed
a
surveillance
vessel
to
dock
at
the
Hambantota
port.
India
has
expressed
concern
over
the
development
as
it
worries
about
the
presence
of
more
naval
presence
in
the
regional
waters
by
the
Chinese.

Under
pressure
Sri
Lanka
reversed
a
decision
to
defer
the
visit
to
Hambantota
by
the
Yuan
Wang
5
which
docked
at
the
southern
port
on
Tuesday
morning.
India
and
the
United
States
both
conveyed
concerns
to
Sri
Lanka
about
the
docking
of
the
vessel
used
by
the
Peoples
Liberation
Army
(PLA)
to
track
satellites
and
ballistic
missiles.

Beijing’s
silence
and
what
we
know
about
the
Chinese
ship
docking
in
Sri
Lanka

A
Hindustan
Times
report
quoting
Navy
officials
said
that
the
Indian
Navy
keeps
a
close
watch
on
extra-regional
activity
in
the
Indian
Ocean
region,
especially
the
movement
and
presence
of
Chinese
vessels
such
as
the
Yuang
Wang
5.

India
had
conveyed
its
concerns
to
Sri
Lanka
long
before
the
vessel
had
entered
regional
waters.
The
report
also
said
that
more
than
the
military
or
strategic
capabilities
of
the
vessel
it
is
the
overall
comfort
level
of
the
Chinese
navy
in
operating
in
these
waters.

India
has
also
expressed
concern
that
the
vessel
did
not
go
to
Colombo,
but
to
Hambantota
which
is
under
the
control
of
the
Chinese.
This
makes
it
clear
that
it
is
not
about
the
replenishment
of
the
Yuang
Wang
5.

The
Indian
side
has
in
the
past
too
flagged
such
visits
by
the
Chinese
military
vessels
such
as
calls
by
conventional
submarine
to
the
Colombo
port
in
September
and
October
2014.
India
will
continue
to
flag
its
concerns
in
view
of
the
Chinese
navy’s
growing
efforts
to
establish
a
presence
in
the
regional
waters.