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Sri Lanka crisis

China 'spy ship' docks in Sri Lanka, India gifts surveillance plane

Vessel's controversial visit exposes big powers' tug of war over bankrupt island

China's Yuan Wang 5 survey ship arrives at the port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 16. The vessel's port call was delayed after India raised objections over apparent security concerns.   © AP

COLOMBO -- After weeks of controversy, the Chinese survey ship Yuan Wang 5 docked at Sri Lanka's southern Hambantota Port on Tuesday morning.

The arrival of the advanced satellite-tracking vessel for a weeklong stay seemed likely to further entangle the bankrupt island nation in a geopolitical tug of war between China and India, which had protested the visit over security concerns. The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka was expected to give the ship a grand welcome at the port, controlled by China under a 99-year lease granted in 2017.

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