Chinese vessel begins research off the coast of Sri Lanka amid India's Concerns

Chinese research vessel Shiyan 6 arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, prompting concerns from India and the United States. The vessel is now beginning a two-day research mission off the Sri Lankan coast, with collaboration from Sri Lankan authorities.

Research Mission

The research will take place off Sri Lanka’s western coast.
Collaboration with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) and the University of Ruhuna.
Nature of research: Marine scientific research.

Vessel Details

Shiyan 6 is a Chinese research vessel added to the fleet in December 2020.
It’s the first Chinese research vessel focusing on geophysical exploration.
The vessel is scheduled to operate for about 80 days with 13 research teams pursuing 28 scientific research projects over 12,000 nautical miles.

Concerns Raised

India and the US expressed concerns over the vessel’s visit, similar to their previous concerns about Chinese vessel visits.
The issue was also discussed during talks held by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Beijing.

Recent Naval Visits to Sri Lanka

In September, India’s ‘INS Delhi’ visited Sri Lanka.
‘ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great’ of the Korean Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer AKEBONO recently arrived at Trincomalee harbor on official visits.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Sri Lankan authorities have mentioned implementing a SOP to clear visits of foreign vessels.
However, it appears the SOP for vetting foreign warships, aircraft, and Marine Scientific Research (MSR) ships has not yet come into effect.