Chinese Vessel Begins Research Off Sri Lankan Coast Today

Relevance: GS2 - India and its neighborhood- relations, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

(Source: The Hindu, 10/31/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, Sri Lanka authorities announced that the Chinese research vessel Shiyan 6 arrived in Colombo to conduct two-day research off the Sri Lankan coast.
• India and the U.S.A. have expressed concern over the research vessel’s presence in the region amid Chinese expansionism with the aim of dominating the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Chinese research expedition in Sri Lanka

• Chinese research vessel Shiyan 6 will conduct a two-day research expedition off the west coast of Sri Lanka in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) and the University of Ruhuna.
• According to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the research will be focussed on marine scientific research despite earlier claiming that the vessel had reached Colombo port for replenishment.
• The studies will be organized by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Sri Lanka has claimed that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be followed to clear visits of foreign vessels, aircraft, and marine scientific research (MSR) ships.
  • However, this policy has yet to come into effect.

Shiyan 6

• Shiyan 6 was added to China’s fleet of marine research vessels in 2020.
• It is the first scientific research vessel focused on geophysical exploration in China’s fleet.
• Dimensions:
  • Carrying capacity of 1115 DWT (deadweight tonnage)
  • Length overall (LOA) of 90.6 meters and width of 17 meters
  • Shiyan 6 is scheduled to operate at sea for around 80 daysIt holds 13 research teams that will pursue 28 scientific research projects across 12,000 nautical miles.
  • The 60-member crew will carry out oceanography, marine geology, and marine ecology tests.

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India’s objections to Chinese activities in the region

• Security threat: India has claimed that the docking of Chinese ships in close proximity to its mainland is a critical threat to its security.
  • India has alleged that China is using these vessels for espionage under the claim of using them for scientific research.
• Chinese influence in Sri Lanka: China owns 52% of Sri Lanka's bilateral debt with China investing heavily in infrastructural projects in the island nation.
  • The Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, a maritime inland port in Hambantota has been leased to China and is also a part of China’s String of Pearls Strategy.

Previous instances

• Yuan Wang 5: India had raised objections to the presence of Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, at Hambantota port in 2022.
  • Although Sri Lanka had initially agreed to postpone the visit, it later backtracked on this promise.
  • India claimed that Yuan Wang 5 can track satellite, rocket, and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches with a reach of around 750 km which would allow it to spy on ports in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and other island regions.
• Nuclear submarine: In 2014, India and Sri Lanka clashed over Sri Lanka’s permission for a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine to dock at one of its ports.
• Spy balloon: In early 2023, the USA shot down what it claimed was a Chinese spy balloon and China claimed was a civilian weather balloon.

Other visits by navy vessels to Sri Lanka

• India: In September 2023, India’s first indigenously built destroyer - ‘INS Delhi’ - conducted a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
• Republic of Korea: The South Korean Navy’s ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great, the lead ship of its class visited Trincomalee in October 2023.
• Japan: AKEBONO (DD 108), a destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) also visited Trincomalee in October 2023.

INS Delhi It is India’s first indigenously built guided missile Destroyer. It is the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. It was built at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai and commissioned on 15 November 1997. Maximum Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h)+ Range: 5,000 mi (8,000 km) Aircraft carried: 2 x Sea King helicopters

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS): (UPSC 2017)

1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question: Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue about the Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news? (UPSC 2022)

(a) It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.

(b) China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea

(c) A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.

(d) Through International Courts of Justice declared them as no man’s land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.

Question: INS Trishul acquired by the Indian Navy in 2003 has been built by: (UPSC 2004)

(a) Israel

(b) USA

(c) Russia

(d) France