Mint Explainer: Why has Sri Lanka banned Chinese ‘research vessels’?

News Snapshot:

Sri Lanka has imposed a one-year ban on Chinese “research vessels" in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), according to a report. India has been raising concerns about these vessels with Sri Lanka for some time now, amid speculation that they are used to track Indian military tests and survey strategically important waters. In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to respect Indian strategic and security concerns. India and China have been vying for dominance in Sri Lanka, which has been courting China to diversify its diplomatic relationships while attempting to strike a balance between...