Shi Yan 6

Shi Yan 6

News: US echoes India’s security concerns over China’s Shi Yan 6’s port call to Sri Lanka.

About:
• The Shi Yan 6 is a research/survey vessel registered in China.
• According to reports, researchers affiliated with Sri Lanka's NARA, are set to commence a scientific expedition aboard the vessel Shi Yan 6.
• Their primary objective is to carry out an extensive survey encompassing both the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the island nation and the region of the southern Indian Ocean.

India’s concerns:
• China regularly sends its vessels to Sri Lanka for “research purposes”, but New Delhi believes that China is attempting to snoop on its defence installations.
• Last year, it raised concerns over a Sri Lanka port call in Hambantota by Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship.