• Four Chinese MSR vessels, including one Satellite tracking vessel in the IOR
• Govt. to discuss streamlining approval Comm. and build sovereign capacity

The Sri Lankan Government will discuss the issue of Foreign Marine Scientific Research (MSR) vessels during the upcoming cabinet meeting today (25) and at the National Security Council (NSC) this week, senior government sources told The Daily Morning.

The move comes as four Chinese research vessels, the latest; Yuan Wang 3, an older vessel in the class of satellite and missile tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 which called on Hambantota Port in August 2022, has entered the Indian Ocean, ahead of a planned Indian missile test over the Bay of Bengal during the first week of April.

According to The Intel Lab’s Open Source Intelligence Analyst and Global Intelligence Researcher Damien Symon, as of last Friday (22) the four Chinese vessels which are in the Indian Ocean are Yuan Wang 3, Oceanographic survey vessels Xiang Yang Hong 1 and Xiang Yang Hong 3, and Marine resource survey ship Da Yang Hao.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had declared a one year moratorium (for 2024) on foreign MSR, and other survey vessels conducting research in Sri Lankan territorial waters and in the waters of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), after a string of visits by Chinese MSR and satellite tracking vessels to the Indian Ocean island. The visits triggered security concerns in New Delhi, Washington and a few other capitals. The moratorium effectively halts any survey, joint or otherwise by any foreign research vessels in Sri Lanka’s maritime domain, but does not bar them from calling on Sri Lankan ports to replenish under international maritime law. The decision to enact a moratorium came after Sri Lanka communicated a reviewed standard operational procedure (SOP) to grant diplomatic approval for foreign warships, aircraft, and research vessels to traverse Sri Lankan waters, airspace, and to call at local ports, to a number of foreign missions in Sri Lanka, following a comprehensive process in November, last year.

It is reliably learnt that, recommendation made by one of the line ministries related to maritime research will likely be taken up at the meeting of Cabinet of Ministers regarding improving Sri Lanka’s sovereign capacity to conduct oceanographic and hydrographic research, with the possibility of a specialised sub-committee being explored. “Sri Lanka has to develop our own capacity to do such research, it is expected that a committee made up of experts will be appointed to make recommendations for that” a senior government official said.

Another government official close to the diplomatic clearance procedure for MSR vessels told The Daily Morning that the Government is likely to discuss streamlining the MSR survey request approval process at the Cabinet meeting and at the National Security Council meeting.

“There will likely be a discussion to streamline the process, there is room for improvement. Sometimes these nations who send such research vessels exert pressure on our system to grant them approval. There have been occasions where those nations have provided material support for some officials and lawmakers for their projects. And in return they ask that pressure is put on us to grant diplomatic permission to allow these surveys. I am glad we have the moratorium, it was the right move. We need to ensure all nations honour our sovereign right to say Yes, and No, as we deem it fit based on our interest,” the official said. 

Last year, Sri Lanka turned down a request for a survey by Chinese MSR Xiang Yang Hong 3 in late December 2023, and early January 2024. Following Sri Lanka’s turning down of the request the Xiang Yang Hong 3 redirected her journey to the Maldives, and began surveying of her waters and the high seas south East of Sri Lanka, and remains in the region since.

It is reported that the Indian Government and several other nations are closely monitoring the four Chinese vessels.