Ghalib Kabir commented August 2, 2022.
A Chinese SIGINT and missile instrumentation ship [the 25,000 tonne Yuan Wang 5, photo above] was due to dock in at Hambantota, Sri Lanka on August 11. 2022. It could potentially snoop on Indian ELF submarine communication facilities close to North Sri Lanka besides other naval installations on India's South East Coast.
The dual standards are galling. Beijing was hopping mad when USN missile instrumentation ships sailed 'close by' to China and now have the temerity to lecture India to not be upset.
Pete Comment
As well as all sorts of Sri Lankan communications INS Kattabomman, a submarine command radio station on the southern tip of India, might be a prime candidate of Chinese interception ship interest. Even if China hasn't cracked India's naval codes this large Chinese ship can perform signals traffic analysis that reveals much about the workings of India's navy.
Depending on where Yuan Wang 5 sails, it can also intercept much from India's civilian (eg. NTRO), defence, army, airforce and Navy shore bases and from Indian ships.
Also if India happens to be testing K series SLBM or Agni series ICBM missiles Yuan Wang 5's communications and telemetry interception capabilities could glean much.
There's an update on the situation, Pete:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sri-lanka-asks-china-defer-arrival-ship-after-india-objects-2022-08-07/
Still a developing situation, let's see how it goes.
Thanks Gessler
ReplyDeleteIndia's opposition is not surprising to the prospect of this Chinese electronic interception ship parking itself close to India.
In any case China might have decided deploying this ship to the west of Taiwan might be more useful in intercepting Taiwanese signalled reactions to the part blockade "exercise" surrounding Taiwan.
Regards Pete
Looks like the ship will dock after all:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/sri-lanka-allows-entry-for-controversial-chinese-ship-despite-india-s-concerns-101660388130341.html
This, despite India being pretty much the only country that provided emergency assistance to Sri Lanka as their economy imploded a few months ago...
https://zeenews.india.com/india/no-country-except-india-providing-money-says-sri-lankan-pm-amid-worst-economic-crisis-2471804.html
Guess under-the-table Chinese money is always more important to the Governments of smaller nations than over-the-table assistance. Sri Lanka is India's version of Australia's Solomon Islands problem.
Hi Gessler
ReplyDeleteYes for pitifully low Chinese bribes some Solomon's Parliamentarians, including their Prime Minister, have taken are leading the Solomons (like Sri Lanka) into unpaybackable debt.
This is mainly in the areas of high Chinese loans for Chinese built phone and port (like Sri Lanka) infrastructure - more of use to Chinese military and loggers than Solomons people.
This is indicative of what white Han ruled China think of people of darker skin - in this Beijing authorised advertisement https://youtu.be/Few8kJ0zfnY
Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_China#Discrimination_against_Africans_and_people_of_African_descent