China Seeks Urgent Meeting With Sri Lanka Over Visit of Research Ship: Report

The Grand Aurora vehicle carrier sits moored at Hambantota Port, operated by China Merchants Group, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on March 28, 2018. Under the overwhelming burden of the Chinese debt, the Sri Lankan government had to lease the port to Beijing for 99 years. Atul Loke/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Chinese officials are reportedly seeking a meeting with top Sri Lankan officials after the Colombo government, citing security objections voiced by India, requested that the planned visit of a Chinese vessel be postponed.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry wrote to the Chinese Embassy on Aug. 5 asking that China defer the arrival of its space and satellite tracking research vessel Yuan Wang 5 to the port in Hambantota “until further consultations are made on this matter.”