Chinese research vessel ‘Shi Yan 6’ to dock in Colombo today

The Chinese geophysical scientific research vessel Shi Yan 6 is expected to dock at the Port of Colombo today (October 25), Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

India on several occasions had expressed its security concerns over Shi Yan 6’s capability of mapping the ocean bed which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese navy.

In September 2023, Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry told Indian media that the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 was not given permission to make a port call in October, as negotiations were still on.

He also highlighted that India’s security concerns, which he said were ‘legitimate’, were ‘important’ for Sri Lanka.

The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) earlier said that the Chinese geophysical scientific research vessel Shi Yan 6 will be reaching Sri Lanka as per an agreement reached with the University of Ruhuna.

Later, the University of Ruhuna announced that it has decided to step away from the research program that was to take place with the Chinese geophysical scientific research vessel Shi Yan 6.

The University of Ruhuna announced that one of the two university lecturers who represented the university in agreeing to conduct joint research with the Shi Yan 6, had

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