Exclusive: Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka to launch welcoming ceremony for arrival of Chinese research vessel: source

 Exclusive: Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka to launch welcoming ceremony for arrival of Chinese research vessel: source

By Zhang Hui

Aug 15, 2022 

The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka will hold a welcoming ceremony for the arrival of the Chinese Yuan Wang 5 scientific research vessel at the port of Hambantota, a source close to the matter told the Global Times on Monday."The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka will hold a simple but warm welcoming ceremony on the premise of epidemic prevention and control," the source said.

According to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yuan Wang 5 was cleared to dock at Hambantota port from Tuesday to August 22 after the government "engaged in extensive consultations at a high level through 

diplomatic channels with all parties concerned," Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

At Monday's media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed that Sri Lanka has granted permission for Yuan Wang 5 to dock.

A separate source told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that Yuan Wang 5 is China's third-generation space-tracking ship. Survey vessels are an important part of the aerospace measurement and control network. 

Compared with land surveying stations, survey vessels can flexibly select and deploy stations on the vast oceans, and maneuver emergency monitoring and control, the source said.

The vessel was scheduled to dock at the port of Hambantota on August 11, but India had continuously pressured Sri Lanka to defer the arrival of the Chinese vessel, citing so-called national security concerns.

In response, Wang Wenbin said at a routine media briefing on August 8 that Sri Lanka is a transportation hub in the Indian Ocean, and scientific research vessels from various countries including China have made port calls in Sri 

Lanka for replenishment. China always exercises freedom of the high seas in accordance with law and fully respects coastal countries' jurisdiction over scientific research activities in waters under their jurisdiction.

It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite so-called security concerns to pressure Sri Lanka, Wang said, noting that as the country grapples with economic and political difficulties, grossly interfering in its normal 

exchange and cooperation with other countries exploits its vulnerability, which is morally irresponsible and goes against the basic norms governing international relations.

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Sri Lanka gives clearance to deferred arrival of Chinese scientific research vessel: reports

By Global Times

Aug 15, 2022 

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry announced on Saturday the conveyance of clearance to the deferred arrival of the Chinese "Yuan Wang 5" scientific research vessel at the port of Hambantota between August 16 to 22, according to 

local media.

"Having considered all material in place," the clearance to the Chinese embassy in Colombo was given for the deferred port call, media reports said, citing a Sri Lankan foreign ministry statement.

The scientific research vessel was initially scheduled to make the port call for replenishment purposes between August 11 to 17. Indian media reported that the initial plan was deferred due to Indian pressure on Sri Lanka, citing 

so-called "national security concerns."

"In light of certain concerns raised with" the foreign ministry, the Sri Lankan government requested that the Chinese embassy defer the vessel's visit until further consultations on the matter, per the Saturday announcement, 

without naming New Delhi.

"It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite so-called 'security concerns' to pressure Sri Lanka," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular press conference in Beijing on August 8, when asked to 

comment on the delayed visit.

As Sri Lanka grapples with economic and political difficulties, grossly interfering in Sri Lanka's normal exchange and cooperation with other countries exploits its vulnerability, which is morally irresponsible and goes against the 

basic norms governing international relations, the spokesperson said.

"We urge the relevant parties to see China's marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka," he remarked.

Survey vessels are an important part of the aerospace measurement and control network. Compared with land surveying stations, survey vessels can flexibly select and deploy stations on the vast oceans, and maneuver emergency 

monitoring and control, a source told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.

In late 1970s, the Yuan Wang 1 and the Yuan Wang 2, the first two ships of the survey series, were successively built. Accordingly, China has become the fourth country in the world to have space and ocean tracking and 

measurement capabilities after the US, Russia and France.

Global Times

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India's pressure on Sri Lanka to defer arrival of Chinese survey ship unreasonable: FM

By Global Time 

Aug 08, 2022 

  

India's pressure on Sri Lanka to defer the arrival of a Chinese research vessel at a Sri Lankan port, citing so-called national security concerns, is unreasonable, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday, urging 

"relevant parties" to view China's marine scientific research activities rationally and refrain from interfering in normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka.

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a government source, that Sri Lanka had asked China to defer the planned visit of a Chinese research and survey vessel, the Yuan Wang 5, which was to dock at the Hambantota port, after an 

objection from India. 

Scientific research ships from various countries, including China, have docked at Sri Lankan ports - a transportation hub in the Indian Ocean - for supplies many times. China has always exercised the freedom of the high seas 

legally and fully respects the jurisdiction of coastal states for scientific research activities in the waters under their jurisdiction, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a regular press conference in Beijing 

on Monday. 

Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and has the right to develop relations with other countries based on its own development interests; normal cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is the independent choice of the two countries 

and serves the common interests of both sides, Wang said.   

"The cooperation aims at no third party, and it's also unreasonable to pressure the Sri Lankan side over so-called national security concerns," Wang said.

Wang described India's pressure on the island country as a brutal interference in Sri Lanka's private and normal foreign exchanges and cooperation, when it's facing severe economic and political difficulties. "It's a typical case of 

'taking advantage of others' dangers', which goes against the basic norms of international relations."

"We urged relevant parties to view China's marine scientific research activities rationally and stop interfering with normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka," the official warned.

Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry also said last week that the call was "nothing unusual" as vessels from countries including India, Japan and Australia periodically make such calls, according to Indian news outlet The Hindu.

Chinese experts also dismissed India's "fuss" over the normal port call, noting that ships making port calls also generate foreign exchange revenue for the host country for services such as refueling and obtaining supplies, and this 

could provide some help to Sri Lanka to address its current economic woes.

In 2017, Sri Lanka leased the southern port to China Merchant Port Holdings. Despite the economic woes afflicting Sri Lanka, the port's dry bulk cargo increased 1.5 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2022. The Port 

of Hambantota also facilitated the transportation of 5,000 tons of oil to the fuel-starved country.

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