Ship visit raises tensions

A high-tech Chinese survey vessel bristling with surveillance equipment docked in Sri Lanka yesterday, despite concerns from neighbouring India that the ship could be used to spy on its ports and military installations. The Yuan Wang 5, an advanced satellite tracking vessel, is expected to stay at the Chinese-built port of Hambantot for a week. Beijing reportedly reacted angrily after Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry initially granted permission for the ship to dock but then asked China to defer the visit in response to Indian and United States objections.