Chinese vessel has reached Sri Lanka amid concerns in India: Report

A Chinese research vessel – widely believed to be a spy ship – reached Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port on Tuesday morning, reports said, amid concerns in India.

The vessel – Yuan Wang-5 – was allowed to arrive at the Sri Lanka port over the weekend. “Having considered all material in place, on 13 August 2022, the clearance to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China was conveyed for the deferred arrival of the vessel from 16-22 August 2022,” the country’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.