China's submarine in Sri Lanka inimical to India's

interests, govt infuriated

Saibal Dasgupta,TNN | Nov 3, 2!",
N#$ %#L&I' %a(s after )ietnam *+ Ngu(en Tan %ung's visit to India, a Chinese sub,
Chang,heng 2, has again docked at the Colombo -ort, s-arking .enormous concerns.
/ithin the government about the intentions of Sri Lankan *resident +ahinda
0a1a-aksa2
0#3% 3LS4' Sri Lanka snubs India, o-ens -ort to Chinese submarine again
3s re-orted b( Sunda( T4I, Sri Lanka allo/ed the docking des-ite NS3 31it %oval's
/arning to Lankan defence secretar( 5otaba(a 0a1a-aksa that an( -resence of a
Chinese submarine in Sri Lanka /ould be unacce-table to India2 The government is
no/ left /ith no o-tion but to look u-on Lanka's defiance as .inimical. to India's
interests2
Chang,heng 2, along /ith /arshi- Chang 6ing %ao, is likel( to remain in Colombo
until $ednesda(2 $hile this is onl( the second time a Chinese sub has sto--ed off
Colombo 7the first coincided /ith *resident *ranab +ukher1ee's visit to )ietnam in
Se-tember8, 6inhua on +onda( 9uoted some Chinese officials /ho said that the
docking /as .an international common -ractice.2
0#3% 3LS4' India -erturbed over :ei1ing's '/arming relations' /ith Sri Lanka, China
sa(s
Brahma Chellaney @Chellaney
Follow
India's weakened regional clout has emboldened Sri Lanka's hostile action
to grant access to Chinese subs. But it is a grave miscalculation.
1!"# $% & # 'ov #1(
India, ho/ever, sees this as a violation of the ;ul( !<=> agreement /hich sa(s that
.Trincomalee or an( other -orts in Sri Lanka /ill not be made available for militar(
use b( an( countr( in a manner -re1udicial to India's interests.2 The agreement also
calls u-on the t/o countries to not allo/ their res-ective territories to be used for
.activities -re1udicial to each other's unit(, integrit( and securit(.2
Strategic affairs e?-ert :rahma Chellane( described Sri Lanka's disregard of India's
-rotests after the first docking as a hostile action /ith long@term im-lications2 .3t a
time /hen India is facing increasing Chinese strategic -ressure from the north, a ne/
militar( challenge is o-ening u- from the south2 The /eakening of India's strategic
clout over the -ast decade has emboldened *resident 0a1a-aksa's hostile action in
granting access to Chinese subs,. he said2
Karan Datta @)atta*karan
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'ot many realise the seriousness o+ a nuclear Chinese sub in Sri Lanka
waters and ,ort. SL too making a grave mistake.
-!(. $% & " 'ov #1(
&e added that 0a1a-aksa could have made serious miscalculations in challenging
India's interests as the countr( is no longer led b( a .clueless -rime minister /ith no
vision2. 0a1a-aksa, in fact, had initiall( res-onded favourabl( to the ne/ N%3
government b( ordering the release of all Indian fishermen from Lankan 1ails but is
no/ seen as /ilfull( -romoting not 1ust China's commercial interests but also :ei1ing's
strategic -enetration of India's southern flank2
China's fleet of nuclear and diesel@-o/ered submarines -ro-elling through the Indian
4cean is a recent -henomenon /ith the first such vo(age A to *ersian 5ulf A
disclosed b( Chinese authorities late last (ear2 In Se-tember this (ear, it again
disclosed that another sub had been de-lo(ed in Indian 4cean /hich had docked off
Sri Lanka, much to India's consternation2
1. Debajit @/ustnlawless
@kadian*anurag @rathore#0 @am,lea1 2hat's what d Chinese r
all about. 2hey are a big bully and also unscru,ulous. 2hey /ust
cant be trustd
Debajit @/ustnlawless
Follow
@kadian*anurag @rathore#0 @am,lea1 But what has sur,rised
me is d attitude o+ Sri Lanka in allowing d Chinese sub to dock
"!1- 3% & # 'ov #1(
These develo-ments have brought under focus China's e?-anding sub force as *L3
uses it to dis-la( its might in the Indian 4cean and also as a challenger to BS's *acific
Cleet2 .China's increasingl( -otent and active sub force re-resents the rising -o/er's
most significant militar( challenge (et for the region2 Its e?-anding undersea fleet not
onl( bolsters China's nuclear arsenal but also enhances the countr('s ca-acit( to
enforce its territorial claims and th/art BS intervention,. said the $all Street ;ournal
in a re-ort last month2
India -erturbed over :ei1ing's '/arming
relations' /ith Sri Lanka, China sa(s
,TNN | Nov 3, 2!"Saibal Dasgupta
:#I;IN5' China has strongl( defended its decision to dock submarines at the Colombo
-ort on t/o occasions and said .there is nothing unusual for naval vessels to dock at
Colombo -ort des-ite concerns raised b( India.2
.It is an international common -ractice for nav( submarine to sto- for refueling and
cre/ refreshment at an oversea -ort,. a Chinese defence ministr( official said2
The ministr( suggested that India /as more -erturbed about China's ./arming
relations. /ith Sri Lanka than the docking of the nuclear submarine2
0#3% 3LS4' Sri Lanka snubs India, o-ens -ort to Chinese submarine again
&e said Chinese submarines have docked during its escort missions in the 5ulf of 3den
and /aters off Somalia2
Sri Lanka allo/ed a Chinese submarine to dock at its Colombo harbour on Sunda(
des-ite concerns raised b( India about .China's /arming relations /ith the Indian
4cean island nation., the ministr( said2
3nother Chinese submarine had called at the same -ort ahead of Chinese *resident 6i
;in-ing's visit to South 3sia seven /eeks ago2
China's naval relationshi- /ith Sri Lanka has been gro/ing ra-idl( in recentl( months2
3 am-hibious landing shi-, the Changbaishan and a frigate, Duncheng, of the !=th
escort fleet of Chinese nav( sailed to the Colombo harbour in mid@3ugust before
leaving for a vo(age in the Somali /aters2
KD @4)*%anna
Follow
5blackmoney SL snubbing India63akistan ,ounding us6China comes to stroll
in r territory&Foreign 3olicy777
8akeu,..htt,!99timeso1ndia.indiatimes.com9india9Sri&Lanka&snubs&India&
o,ens&,ort&to&Chinese&submarine&again9articleshow9(0:;0;.cms <
1#!## 3% & # 'ov #1(
Sri Lanka snubs India6 o,ens ,ort to Chinese submarine
again & 2he...
)es,ite India's strong ob/ections6 the government has
learned that Sri Lanka has ,ermitted another Chinese attack
submarine to dock at a Lankan ,ort.
Times of India @timeso1ndia
The Chinese defence ministr( 9uoted a Sri Lankan nav( s-okesman making similar
comments, a move that suggested that the t/o countries /ere making coordinated
res-onse to the situation2
.This is nothing unusual2 Since 2!, 23 /arshi-s have called at Colombo -ort from
various countries on good/ill visits and for refueling and cre/ refreshment,. the
ministr( said 9uoting Sri Lankan nav( s-okesman Eosala $arnakulasuri(a2
&o/ever, India has alread( raised concerns over the fre9uenc( of Chinese visits to Sri
Lanka, it said 9uoting Indian officials2