NEW DELHI: India has lessons to learn from the ‘Yuan Wang 5’ affair. The Chinese satellite tracking vessel is now docked at Hambantota harbour in southern Sri Lanka, and while it may have turned off its many sensors and radars in deference to Sri Lankan sentiments, that remains only a claim.
The point as Nitin Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief of Stratnewsglobal made on the Gist programme, was that the vessel had plenty of time and opportunity to snoop on Indian maritime and space assets while making its leisurely way through the Indian Ocean. In his view, the Chinese now have a precedent to step up the entry of similar vessels into Hambantota in the future, not to forget, the port is China’s property for 99 years.
Gokhale believes India needs to be far more subtle in its approach when faced with such situations. China has made deep inroads into India’s periphery through a combination of money and hard headed strategic thinking. India, if not the former, needs a lot more of the latter. Touting goodwill and friendship is not enough.
Join us for more in this web chat with Nitin Gokhale on The Gist.
