According to the Hambantota International Port Group, a Chinese military survey ship that docked in the Chinese-built port of Hambantota, in Sri Lanka over resistance from neighboring India withdrew on Monday after a week-long visit.
The Yuan Wang 5 is reportedly one of a larger group of Chinese ships that monitor Chinese satellites, rockets, and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. With the ship’s next destination not immediately known, civilians and world leaders alike are shedding light on a situation that had been muted under recent world atrocities.
It’s no secret that Sri Lanka has faced its fair share of struggles these past two years. One of its most extensive hardships had resulted in the poverty-stricken nation having to depend on wealthier countries such as India and China to lend money as the South Asian country struggled to keep even an ounce of normalcy.
As China stepped in to aid, world leaders took a step back and looked at the, ‘bigger picture.’ The Belt Road Initiative (BRI) links infrastructure projects in various countries. After continuously changing China’s Belt Road Initiative with no bars of regulation, countries such as the U.S. grew concerned, picking up on a pattern and pointing out the economic benefits of China’s investments in developing countries.
China extending its loans rather than forgiving them leaves many of the developing countries at the hands of Communist China due to long-term dependencies. As China grew and developed in infrastructure capabilities and expanded its accessibility to its raw materials, analysts noticed China was introducing unsustainable debt obligations rather than loan forgiveness.
In a statement made last week by Captain Zhang Hongwang of the Yuan Wang 5, he claimed the ship’s stop will “deepen the interaction between China and Sri Lanka in the sphere of space science and technology and support the common advancement of the space industries of the two countries.”
Today, India, Sri Lanka’s other loaning ally, spoke of fears that China will use the port as a military base. As Sri Lanka continues down a road of hardships and poverty, the country’s worst condition in decades, the government decided to delay the arrival of Yuan Wang 5 amid India’s concern; however, it gave into Chinese demands soon after.
The Pentagon says the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army.
According to Reuters, China claims that the Hambantota port, which China Merchants leased in 2017 for 99 years, is a vital component of its Belt and Road Initiative.
