Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, said on Wednesday his country was closely following developments involving a Chinese military vessel docked in Sri Lanka.

“What’s happening in our neighborhood, any development that impacts our safety, is obviously of interest to us.” “Jaishankar said at a press conference called by the Thai and Indian foreign ministries in Bangkok.

Despite objections from India and the United States, Sri Lanka allowed the dual-purpose Chinese navy surveillance vessel, Yuan Wang 5, to dock south of the Chinese-held port of Hambantota on a 99 year lease.

According to a statement from the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, India and the United States did not provide “concrete reasons” for refusing entry, which is why Yuan Wang 5 was allowed to dock after having been held for a few days for consultations.

The statement stressed that the authorization was conditional on the Chinese vessel not doing any “research” (espionage?) while in Hambantota and only stopping to refuel.

Watch | Gravitas: a Chinese ship to spy on India from Sri Lanka?

Two ministers met on Wednesday to discuss areas of cooperation such as tourism, trade and cybersecurity.

The two countries also agreed on major infrastructure projects, such as highways linking India, Myanmar and Thailand, but recognized that there are many hurdles to overcome, especially given the current political uncertainty in Myanmar.

Don Pramudwinai, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian External Affairs Minister, co-chairs the 9th Thailand-India Joint Commission.

The two parties will witness the signing of two MoUs between Thailand and India.

(With agency contributions)

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