Gunboat Diplomacy With Chinese Characteristics: Why Yuan Wang 5’s Arrival In Sri Lanka Is Consequential For South Asia – Analysis

By Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli*

Despite serious reservations expressed by both Sri Lanka and India, and after a clearance delay of five days, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force vessel Yuan Wang 5 finally docked at Chinese-leased Hambantota port on 16 August 2022. Of course, the Sri Lankan...