Relevance: GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Phrases: Chinese vessel, Yuan Wang 5, Hambantota port, Intercontinental ballistic missile, Strategic Support Force, Psychological warfare, Transoceanic aerospace observation, Long March 5B, Satellite activities, 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord.

Context:

• Yuan Wang 5, the Chinese research and Survey vessel, en route to the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka has sent alarm bells to South Asian countries, especially India.
• The vessel is supposed to come to Hambantota Port on August 11 and stay there until August 17.

Yuan Wang 5’ Chinese ship:

• The ‘Yuan Wang 5’ was built at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and it entered service in September 2007.
• This 222-metre long and 25.2-metre wide vessel has state-of-the-art tracking technology onboard for transoceanic aerospace observation.
• This large “survey/research” vessel carry optical, laser, passive-radio and radar devices, whose large dish-antennae enable tracking of ballistic-missile trajectories, monitoring of satellite and space vehicle launches, and gathering of technical intelligence.
• ‘Yuan Wang’-class ships are used to track satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches.
• China has around seven of these tracking ships that are capable of operating throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The ships supplement Beijing’s land-based tracking stations.
• According to a US Department of Defence report, these space support ships are operated by the PLA’s Strategic Support Force (SSF), which is “a theater command-level organization established to centralize the PLA’s strategic space, cyber, electronic, information, communications, and psychological warfare missions and capabilities”.
• Its last monitoring mission was the launch of China’s ‘Long March 5B’ rocket.
• It was also recently involved in maritime monitoring of the launch of China’s Tiangong space station’s first lab module.

India's Concern:

• India has always raised concerns about the potential use of the port by China for military purposes. However, Sri Lanka has tried to assure India, saying the port would not be used in any way that might harm Indian interests.
• This time India raises the following concern:
  • The Chinese vessel is capable of tracking space and satellite activities along with intercontinental ballistic missiles that poses a security threat to India.
  • The ship could be used to keep a surveillance over Indian missile tests and gauge their specifications and firing range.
  • The ‘Yuan Wang 5’ is a powerful tracking vessel whose significant aerial reach, reportedly, around 750 km — means that several ports in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh could be on China’s radar.
  • India have viewed the forthcoming visit of the Chinese “spy ship” to Hambantota as an infringement of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord.
  • The spy ship can bring on its radar India's largest nuclear power plants situated in Kalapakkam and Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka Response:

• In response to India's concern, Sri Lanka had earlier stated that the visit of the Chinese ship was only for "refueling and replenishing of other facilities and provisions".
• Sri Lanka admired that China and India have always helped Sri Lanka domestically and in the international fora as true friends.
• Sri Lanka would not do anything to harm the good understanding and trust existing between the two countries for millennia.
• Under no circumstances would Sri Lanka act detrimental to the interests of India or China as both nations have been Sri Lanka's friends-in-need and have stood alongside Sri Lanka at all times.
• Sri Lanka's foreign ministry has asked the Chinese embassy in Colombo to defer the planned visit of Chinese spy ship Yuan Wang 5 to a Lankan port until further consultations, after India raised concerns over the potential presence of a Chinese military vessel so close.

Way forward:

• However, Colombo has often acknowledged that the security and economic interests of both India and Sri Lanka are inextricably interlinked and any deliberate actions that harm Indian interests will eventually rebound on it.
• Sri Lanka has tried to assure India, saying the port would not be used in any way that might harm Indian interests.
• Now, India needs to bolster its economic and maritime power in Indian Ocean region. India can enforce its version of a “Monroe Doctrine,” because there would be the frequent presence of PLAN in the Indian Ocean.

Sources: Indian Express 

Mains Question:

Q. Why Chinese ‘spy ship’ heading for a Sri Lankan port is a major concern for India? What strategy India should adopt to tackle this situation? (250 Words).