By The Sri Lankan government has granted permission for the docking of the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 in the Colombo harbor later this year.
The vessel is expected to undertake research jointly with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) to locate the wrecks of vessels belonging to Admiral Zheng He’s fleet off the southern coast.
The Shi Yan 6 is a medium-sized comprehensive research vessel that focuses on geophysical exploration. It was delivered by China State Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in December 2020.
The agreement to allow the Shi Yan 6 to dock in Colombo was signed in 2014, during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa. The agreement has been amended twice since then, most recently in 2022.
Under the agreement, China and Sri Lanka will conduct two more surveys to locate the sunken vessels of Admiral Zheng He’s fleet. The project is expected to continue until 2026.
The planned survey has attracted public attention due to India’s concerns over Chinese ship visits to Sri Lanka. However, the three previous surveys took place without controversy.
The Director General of the Central Cultural Fund, Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe, said that the fourth survey is scheduled for January 2024.
He added that the two parties have agreed to establish a joint research center to further expand the studies and widen the area of operations.
The decision to allow the Shi Yan 6 to dock in Colombo has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Admiral Zheng He’s fleet, while others have expressed concerns about China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka.
Mixed reactions :
The Indian reaction to the docking of the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 in Sri Lanka is likely to be mixed. On the one hand, India has expressed concerns in the past about Chinese ships visiting Sri Lanka, as it sees this as a way for China to expand its influence in the region. On the other hand, India is also a major investor in Sri Lanka and has a vested interest in the country’s stability.
The Sri Lankan government’s decision to grant permission for the docking of the Shi Yan 6 is likely to be seen as a sign that Sri Lanka is leaning towards China in its strategic and economic relations.
This could further strain relations between India and Sri Lanka, which have been on a downward trajectory in recent years.
The effect on Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, is also likely to be negative. Wickremesinghe is seen as a pro-Western leader, and the decision to allow the Shi Yan 6 to dock is likely to damage his reputation in India.
This could make it more difficult for him to get Indian support for Sri Lanka’s economic and security needs.
In the short term, the docking of the Shi Yan 6 is unlikely to have a major impact on the situation in Sri Lanka. However, it is a sign of the growing competition between India and China in the Indian Ocean region.
This competition is likely to continue to intensify in the years to come, and it will have a significant impact on the strategic landscape of the region.
