Sri Lankan minister defends govt’s decision to allow Chinese military training ship

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on Tuesday defended the government’s move to allow a Chinese military training ship to arrive in Colombo, saying the decision falls within the framework of the country’s diplomatic engagements and such visits “pose no threat”.

He was responding to a question on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy training warship “Po Lang” which arrived at the port of Colombo on Tuesday “as part of an ocean-going voyage aimed at enhancing the professional capabilities of midshipmen and conducting naval exchanges with other countries,” said a statement.

Herath, also the Cabinet Spokesman, said Sri Lanka maintains balanced diplomatic relations with all countries.

He said the government’s decision to allow the Chinese military training vessel to visit Sri Lanka falls within the framework of the country’s diplomatic engagements.

“We are happy to allow military training ships. They pose no threat,” Herath said. “We have seen military ships arriving from Germany and the US”.

The previous government had placed a moratorium on allowing foreign scientific research survey vessels in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Sri Lanka.

Hearth’s predecessor Ali Sabry in July said that Sri Lanka was to review the moratorium to decide if to continue with it or lift it.

India had repeatedly raised concerns over several Chinese research vessels in the Sri Lankan waters.

Herath said Sri Lanka would continue to allow visits by military training ships to maintain international cooperation while safeguarding national interests.

The visiting ship — an 86-meter-long Sail Training Vessel crewed by 130 personnel including 35 Officer Cadets — was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions.

To strengthen the camaraderie between the two navies, crew members of the ship are set to participate in a series of programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, according to an official statement.

In addition, crew members of the ship will explore some of the tourist attractions of the country, during their stay in Colombo. Additionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel will have the opportunity to participate in briefings on the operational functions of the ships as well, the statement added.

The vessel’s journey includes visits to multiple countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, as well as a technical stop in Hong Kong.