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.