India monitoring Chinese vessel docked in Sri Lanka: Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that New Delhi was monitoring “very closely” the developments in the neighbourhood. The response was to a question on the Chinese spy vessel Yuan Wang 5 having docked in Hambantota port in Sri Lanka despite India raising objections.
“What happens in our neighbourhood, any developments which have a bearing on our security obviously are of an interest to us,” Jaishankar said while speaking at the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting in Bangkok.
“I think a spokesman had said some time ago, we obviously monitor any development, which has a bearing on our interests very, very carefully. So, I think I will leave it at that,” he added.
This comes a day after the Chinese ship docked at the port after Sri Lankan authorities granted the vessel access to the port from August 16 to 22 on condition that it will keep the Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched on within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Sri Lanka and no scientific research to be conducted in Sri Lankan waters.