China pressurized Lanka to call on Chinese ship’s visit, and India rebuts China on it...
India strongly condemned China’s insinuations that New Delhi had pressured Colombo to block a research vessel from China to visit the Hambantota port. India rejected China’s false claims on Friday and emphasised the need for mutual respect and sensitivity in Indo-Chinese relations is needed now more than ever.
Recently Sri Lanka deferred a proposal for the Yuan Wang 5, which is a vessel used by China’s Liberation Army (PLA) to keep a track of satellites and ballistic missiles. China sent the vessels ships to call at Hambantota port during 11-17 for replenishment. In July this year, Sri Lanka cleared the port visits but has now redecided and said there must be further consultation on the issue.
A spokesperson from China’s Foreign ministry insinuating that it was India without naming India said that it was “completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called security concerns to pressure Sri Lanka” over the cited ship’s visit. The Chinese spokesperson made the alleged claims on Monday which India soon rebutted.
In response to China’s statement, External affairs ministry spokesperson (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said at a weekly media briefing that “We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions”. Bagchi rebutted the laced insinuations in China’s statement hinting that India influenced Sri Lanka’s decision. Bagchi further added, “As regards India-China relations we have consistently emphasised the necessity of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest as a basis for the development of ties”. He also said that India is completely supportive and in favour of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery.
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