Chinese research ship Yuan Wang 5 docks at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port

Port workers at Hambantota gave an enthusiastic welcome to the Yuan Wang 5, waving Sri Lanka and China flags, while the ship displayed a large banner reading: “Hello Sri Lanka.”However, the ship’s arrival appears to have aggravated tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, who have both spent billions of dollars on development and deals with Sri Lanka, an island of 22 million people that sits on a key trading route.The Yuan Wang 5 had originally requested permission to dock at the port last week, but the visit was delayed after concerns were raised about the ship’s presence, though India denied putting any pressure on Colombo.China says the ship is used for scientific research, but the US Defense Department says the ship is under the command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and is capable of tracking satellites and missile launches. On Saturday, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said the government had engaged in “extensive” consultations with “all parties concerned” with a “view to resolving the matter in a spirit of friendship, mutual trust and constructive dialogue.” It said the ship had been given permission to dock on the condition that no scientific research was conducted in Sri Lankan waters.Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said New Delhi’s concern about the ship’s presence in Sri Lanka was likely due to its monitoring capabilities.”Spying is not her primary mission … her primary mission is satellite tracking and monitoring PRC rocket launches, telemetry, and satellite status … but that same capability can and often is employed to monitor other countries’ satellite operations, downlinks and missile telemetry,” he said.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday the ship is conducting scientific research “in accordance with international law.”It “does not affect the security and economic interests of any country, and should not be interfered with by third parties,” spokesman Wang Wenbin said.India-China tensionsThe Yuan Wang 5 has become a symbol of As many Western countries withheld funding to Sri Lanka over alleged human rights abuses during a decades-long civil war, which ended in 2009, China supplied the former Rajapaksa government with economic aid, said Ganeshan Wignaraja, senior research associate at the British think tank, ODI Global.”Sri Lanka then thought it could use China as a vehicle for infrastructure-led economic development,” he said. Between 2005 and 2017, China spent nearly $15 billion in Sri Lanka, but as the island nation’s economic fortunes waned, it struggled to pay back its debt and the countries agreed on the long-term port deal. Wignaraja said by sending the Yuan Wang 5 to Hambantota port, it was testing the boundaries of that deal.”China was testing the terms of the lease agreement by sending a craft which has satellites on board and has a highly advanced capability,” Wignaraja said. CNN’s Brad Lendon contributed reporting.