Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCOLOMBO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A Chinese military survey ship will visit a strategic port in crisis-hit Sri Lanka later this month only to refuel, a cabinet spokesman said on Tuesday, after neighbouring India raised concerns over the vessel's journey to the Indian Ocean island.Shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon showed the research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 was en route to Sri Lanka's Hambantota, a $1.5 billion Chinese-built port that India worries could be used as a military facility. read more "It is coming to refuel and not for any other purpose," cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardana told reporters, adding that the foreign minister had briefed Sri Lanka's new President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the matter.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"President told Cabinet that diplomatic efforts will be made to work with both countries so as not to create any issues," Gunawardana said.China last week said it hoped "relevant parties" would refrain from interfering with its legitimate maritime activities. read more India, which has spent billions in recent months to keep Sri Lanka afloat amid its worst economic crisis in seven decades, said it was monitoring the planned visit of the Chinese ship. read more Diplomatic relations between India and China have been strained since 2020 after clashes between troops along a remote Himalayan border. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the fighting, which led to a massive build-up of troops on both sides.Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China's latest space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.The Pentagon's annual report on China's military modernisation says the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People's Liberation Army.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWriting by Devjyot Ghoshal
Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Sri Lanka says Chinese military survey ship will port only to refuel.