China’s spy ship will no longer reach Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka on August 11. On Monday, the Sri Lankan government formally confirmed the news. China has taken the Hambantota port on a 99-year lease. India had strongly objected to the reports of this Chinese spy ship reaching Sri Lanka. It is believed that after this the Sri Lankan government, which came under pressure, asked China not to send this ship to Hambantota.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement
According to the news agency, controversy was deepening over the arrival of spy ship Yuang Wang 5 to Hambantota on August 11. The Sri Lankan government held talks with China about this. After this, a statement was issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo on Monday evening.
It was said in this statement- The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has talked to China about this. Yuang Wang 5 will no longer reach Hambantota on 11 August. It was scheduled to arrive for refueling and was to return on 17 August. We have also informed the Embassy of China about this. We have asked them to postpone the program of this ship reaching Hambantota for the time being.
excellent relations between the two countries
No reason was given in the statement for stopping the ship. In this, relations between Sri Lanka and China were described as excellent. It was also said that these relations will remain like this in future also, because their foundation is very strong. According to the statement- Recently the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and the Foreign Minister of China met. We have made it clear that Sri Lanka supports the ‘One China Policy’.
On the other hand, China said that it accepts the maritime boundaries of all countries according to the law. Also said that Yuang Wang 5 was going to Hambantota only for scientific research.
India not named
In China’s statement, India was not directly named, but it was definitely indicated. According to this, all the parties related to the issue need to know that our ship was going to go there only for necessary research. This is a matter of mutual cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. The parties (India) who are raising security concerns in this regard are putting pressure on Sri Lanka.
India had first raised this issue with the Sri Lankan government. Yuang Wang 5 ship became operational in 2007. It has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes. Hambantota Port is 250 km from Colombo. When the Sri Lankan government could not repay China’s debt, this port was handed over to China on a 99-year lease.
Layla 
Divya