India China Relation: India has expressed serious concerns to Colombo for allowing clandestine refueling of Chinese military vessels on high seas with Sri Lankan tankers procuring fuel from Chinese leased Hambantota seaport.
Both India and the US have clearly cautioned Colombo not to allow docking of Chinese military vessels and strategic surveillance ships on its ports after the Ranil Wickremesinghe government allowed Chinese ballistic missile tracking ship Wang Yuan 5 to dock at Hambantota despite India red-flagging the move.
New Delhi has asked Sri Lanka in a stern note to come up with transparent standard operation procedures (SOPs) for refuelling and docking of ships and not allow Chinese military vessels to either dock or refuel at Hambantota or Colombo ports. Meanwhile Sri Lankan vessels were noticed loading fuel from Hambantota port and refuelling Chinese warships on high seas to bypass US and larger concerns of India.
Chinese ships are sailing in the Indian Ocean Region, off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden in the pretext of anti-piracy task force, but apparently there is hardly any pirate activity in the regions. It was the anti-piracy ploy that China used to secure a base in Djibouti.
India and the US have categorically emphasized on the crucial issue citing security reasons and advised Colombo not to allow docking of Chinese military vessels and strategic surveillance ships on its ports after the Ranil Wickremesinghe government allowed Chinese ballistic missile tracking ship Wang Yuan 5 to dock at Hambantota despite India red-flagging the move.
Also Read: Viral News: Role Reversal? Cobra Dies After An 8-Year-Old Boy Bit Him In Anger
The ship stayed which was docked at Hambantota port for six days last August is suspected of conducting surreptitious surveillance of Indian Ocean south of the Island nation. This is serious security challenge to India’s maritime interests and the serious concerns expressed by Indian agencies are pragmatic justified. The Biden administration has also raised strong objections to the docking of Wang Yuan 5 at Hambantota port, which was leased for 99 years by Wickremesinghe in 2017 to Beijing under the Rajapaksa regime. China has been also provided tax incentives in the Colombo area for 40 years.
While Sri Lanka did not accede to Pakistani request to dock Chinese built frigate PNS Taimur at Trincomalee port, it gave permission to the warship to pay “goodwill” visit to Colombo port last August despite Indian strong objections.
Sri-Lanka’s molly coddling with India’s arch-rivals China and Pakistan stands duplicitous when the cash-strapped island-country looks towards India for emergency supports like food, fuel and medicines. Much to the chagrin of India the political leaderships in Colombo have dubiously played with the interests of the country for their vested interests in the recent past, detrimental in building a reasonably productive relation with immediate neighbour – India.
While tensions between India and China continue to ferment in the region, Sri Lanka has also entered the imbroglio due to the complicated nature of its relationship with Beijing. The Hambantota port provides the perfect platform for Chinese warships to refuel without Indian or United States interference.
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER.
