HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka/BEIJING -- As China's all-white Yuan Wang 5 research vessel slowly pulled into a dock at the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota on Tuesday morning, it was greeted by a group of Chinese residents holding a large banner that hailed the friendship between Beijing and Colombo. Sri Lankan lawmakers also were in attendance as the captain and other crew members were welcomed with a traditional dance after disembarking from the vessel.
The Chinese ship's arrival, reportedly for refueling and resupply through Aug. 22, was not warmly received everywhere, however. At a time when there are mounting concerns Beijing might use the port for military purposes as it seeks to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, this port call has gotten on the nerves of regional power India and China's rival the United States.
