• This decision taken at a time when our country is facing  severe economic challenges will have a negative impact on the long-term  friendship between SL and China
• Our government should reveal the reason behind the change in the criteria

The Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) said it was deeply shocked by the Sri Lankan government’s decision to temporarily suspend the arrival of the Chinese ship Yuan Wang 5 at Hambantota Port.   

Issuing a statement, it said ASLCSCC believes that this short-sighted decision taken at a time when our country is facing severe economic challenges will have a negative impact on the long-term friendship between Sri Lanka and China.  

“Our government should reveal the reason behind the change in the criteria that existed when Yuan Wang 5 was allowed to come to Hambantota Port. It is now known worldwide that India has said that Yuan Wang 5 will have some effect on its maritime security. Our government shouldn’t entertain such disruptive external interventions when decisions have already been made in accordance with the relevant conventions, and adhere to its foreign policy. If another country opposes a decision of our country, it shows that it has no understanding of the world conventions and interferes in the internal affairs of another country. This is clearly a violation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.  

Also, in the effort to solve the social and economic crisis that our country is facing, we see another country using geopolitics as a weapon and acting on double minded policies. China has been an honest and long standing friend of Sri Lanka. ASLCSCC as an organization for people to people friendship with China strongly opposes any attempt to harm Sri Lanka-China friendship.  

Yuan Wang 5 is a research and survey vessel. In 2013, Yuan Wang 3 arrived at Colombo Port.  
ASLCSCC thinks that the Sri Lankan government should take immediate steps to address the harmful situation occurred by suspending the arrival of Yuan Wang 5, for the diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and China and people to people friendship.”