China refuels warships mid-sea at Colombo, infuriating India
India conveyed grave concerns to Colombo over the practise of allowing Chinese military ships to refuel covertly while travelling at high seas.
When Sri Lankan tankers picked up fuel from the ports in Hambantota that China had leased, India conveyed grave concerns to Colombo over the practise of allowing Chinese military ships to refuel covertly while travelling at high seas.
Diplomats headquartered in Colombo claim that New Delhi has asked Sri Lanka to develop open standard operating procedures (SOPs) for ship refuelling and docking and to forbid Chinese military boats from docking or refuelling at Hambantota or Colombo ports. In order to avoid Indian and larger US worries, Sri Lankan ships were seen refuelling Chinese warships on the wide seas while loading petroleum from the Hambantota port.
Except for the ships operating off the coast of East Africa under the name of an anti-piracy task force, it is understood that there are currently no Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean region. "Despite the fact that there is scarcely any pirate activity in the area, Chinese warships continue to patrol the waters off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden. According to a Beijing observer, China secured a facility in Djibouti under the guise of combating piracy.
After the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration permitted the Chinese ballistic missile tracking ship Wang Yuan 5 to dock at Hambantota despite India raising a red flag over the move, both the US and India made it clear that Colombo should not permit the docking of Chinese military vessels or strategic surveillance ships on its ports.
What's Your Reaction?
