Chinese, Indian foreign ministers at Shanghai bloc summit as PLA ship heads to Sri Lanka
- India has raised concerns over Chinese survey ship’s planned visit to Hambantota port in neighbouring Sri Lanka
- New Delhi declines to say if foreign ministers S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi will meet at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tashkent
The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers are attending a regional conference in Uzbekistan, a day after New Delhi expressed concerns over a Chinese survey ship’s planned visit to a strategic port in India’s southern neighbour Sri Lanka.
Shipping data from financial information provider Refinitiv Eikon showed research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 was en route to Hambantota and expected to arrive on August 11, at a time when Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades.
India has provided its neighbouring island nation with nearly US$4 billion in support this year alone.
The Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military modernisation says the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
An Indian foreign ministry spokesman said the government was monitoring the planned visit of the Chinese ship, and New Delhi would protect its security and economic interests.