Colombo: India on Saturday hit again at China for alleging that it was “interfering” in Sri Lanka’s inside affairs, firmly telling Beijing that what Colombo wants now was “assist, not undesirable strain or pointless controversies” to serve one other nation’s agenda.

Hinting at India’s objection to the docking of Chinese language ballistic missile and satellite tv for pc monitoring ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ on the Hambantota port, Chinese language ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhongon in a press release on Friday mentioned that “exterior obstruction” based mostly on so-called safety considerations with none proof is a “thorough interference” into the island nation’s sovereignty and independence.

“Now we have famous the remarks of the Chinese language Ambassador. His violation of fundamental diplomatic etiquette could also be a private trait or reflecting a bigger nationwide perspective,” the Excessive Fee of India in Sri Lankan tweeted.

It mentioned Qi’s view of India could also be colored by how his personal nation behaves.

“India, we guarantee him, may be very completely different,” the Indian mission right here mentioned.

The Ambassador’s imputing a geopolitical context to the go to of a purported scientific analysis vessel is a giveaway, the mission mentioned, including that “opaqueness and debt pushed agendas are actually a serious problem, particularly for smaller nations. Current developments are a warning”.

“Sri Lanka wants assist, not undesirable strain or pointless controversies to serve one other nation’s agenda,” it mentioned, because the island nation is grappling with the worst financial disaster since 1948.

Within the assertion, Qi, mentioned China was joyful that matter associated to docking of ‘Yuan Wang 5’ on the Hambantota port was handled and Beijing and Colombo collectively safeguard one another’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

“Exterior obstruction based mostly on so-called safety considerations however with none proof from sure forces is de facto an intensive interference into Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence,” the assertion mentioned, with out straight naming India.

India had rejected China’s “insinuations” that New Delhi pressured Colombo towards the go to by a Chinese language analysis vessel to the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota however asserted that it’ll take selections based mostly on its safety considerations.

“We reject the insinuations within the assertion about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign nation and makes its personal impartial selections,” Exterior Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi mentioned at a media briefing in New Delhi on August 12.

He mentioned that Sri Lanka, as a sovereign nation, makes its personal impartial selections and famous that India would make its judgment on its safety considerations based mostly on the prevailing state of affairs within the area, particularly within the border areas, seen as a veiled reference to the jap Ladakh row with China.

The high-tech ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ was initially scheduled to reach on the Chinese language-run port on August 11 but it surely was delayed in absence of permission by Sri Lankan authorities following safety considerations raised by India.

The Chinese language ship arrived within the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota on August 16. It was docked there for replenishment.

Sri Lanka granted the port entry to the vessel from August 16 to 22 on situation that it’ll hold the Automated Identification System (AIS) switched on inside the Unique Financial Zone (EEZ) of Sri Lanka and no scientific analysis to be performed in Sri Lankan waters.

There have been apprehensions in New Delhi about the potential of the Chinese language vessel’s monitoring programs trying to listen in on Indian defence installations whereas being on its technique to the Sri Lankan port.

China says the ship is used for scientific analysis, however the US Defence Division says the ship is underneath the command of China’s Individuals’s Liberation Military (PLA) and is able to monitoring satellites and missile launches.

The ship’s arrival on the Hambantota port grew to become controversial as China leased the port from Sri Lanka in 2017 for 99 years after Colombo didn’t pay money owed associated to the development of the power.

Colombo’s nod to the docking of the Chinese language analysis vessel was essential because the cash-strapped Sri Lankan authorities is searching for an early bailout from the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF).

China is a serious creditor of Sri Lanka, and is significant to Sri Lanka’s efforts to restructure its debt to safe a bailout from the IMF. 

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