Chinese spy ship Yuan Wang 5 The Yuan Wang 5, China’s missile and satellite tracking ship berthed at Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, will leave at 4 PM today (22),Ports and Shipping Ministry sources said.
China’s satellite tracking vessel Yuan Wang 5 on August 16 arrived at Sri Lanka’s southern Hambantota Port, despite India and the U.S. voicing concern with Colombo over the military ship’s visit.
Hours after the vessel reached the Sri Lankan port, China said the “marine scientific research” activities of the vessel were “consistent with international law” and did not impact “any other country’s security interests”.
According to Colombo-based official sources, both India and the U.S. had conveyed their apprehensions to the Sri Lankan Government at the highest level, citing the vessel’s “military capabilities” while in the Indian Ocean Region. Apparently addressing the concerns, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on August 16 said, “
The Yuan Wang 5 is one of China’s latest generation survey vessel officially entered Port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka on Tuesday 16th August 2022 replenishment purposes.
Sri Lanka granted permission for the high-tech Chinese tracking vessel Yuan Wang 5 to dock at the Hambantota Port in a backdrop marred with controversy.
Diplomatic clearance for the Chinese vessel to make a port call at the Hambantota port from 11-17 August, 2022 for replenishment purposes was granted by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however due to concerns raised by various factions including India, the Ministry requested China to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide any reason for the request.When the request to defer the visit of the vessel was made, the Yuan Wang 5 had already set sail to Sri Lanka leaving its port of origin on the 14th of July, and it was already in the Indian Ocean.
The vessel thereafter slowed down and moved over the Ninety East Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge on the Indian Ocean floor named for its near-parallel strike along the 90th meridian at the center of the Eastern Hemisphere.The Chinese Research Vessel fleet boats of twin vessels identified as Yuan Wang 5 and Yuan Wang 6.
On 16th August 2022, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Spokesperson & Minister Bandula Gunawardena confirmed that the Chinese ballistic missiles and satellite tracking vessel was requested to delay their visit due to concerns voiced by India.
He said that a request was made from China to defer the arrival until Sri Lanka cleared out the concerns of its neighbor India.Yuan Wang 5 is a third-generation tracking ship of the Yuan Wang Series. It has top-of-the-line antennas and electronic equipment to track ballistic missiles and satellite.
