Sri Lanka is allowing a Chinese research ship to dock as neighboring India’s security concerns grow

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Chinese research ship will be allowed to dock at a Sri Lankan port this week. That likely will add to neighboring India’s concerns about China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean. The docking follows last year’s visit by a Chinese naval vessel. This vessel had been expected to conduct research with Sri Lankan state institutions, but Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry says permission has been granted only for replenishment. China has been trying to expand its influence in Sri Lanka, which is located on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in what India considers part of its strategic backyard.