Managing Matters Maritime: Yuan Wang 5

When Chinese Satellite Tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 requested a port call in Aug 2022, then Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke to me. On arrangements, I met him at his private residence and discussed the issues for nearly one hour. The Minister, inquired from me what this ship is about and how best that Sri Lanka should be managing the matter. Already, Indian media as usual was up on the roar calling Yuan Wang 5 a ‘spy ship’ and made a flurry of opinions on what it does and why it wants to come to Sri Lankan port; more especially Hambanthota!

I thought of dedicating this Newsletter to the Yuan Wang 5 episode, as it is a case study of how NOT to handle matters of maritime relevancy! Let me explain the details as it unfolded. Yuan Wang 5 is one of the dedicated satellite tracking ships of China operated under the aegis of China Maritime Satellite Telemetry and Control Department. The ship was engaged in a study in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean and first sought port call facility at Colombo Harbour. However, Colombo harbour was busy, and no terminal wanted to allocate this nearly 400m long ship for six (6) days alongside as the terminals will be losing money by having one ship for such long duration whereas the berth will be used by more than 8-10 Container carriers (either Feeders or Main-liners) within those six days of duration! Thus, the natural choice was Hambanthota where berthing was available for long duration and the Yuan Wang 5 operating area in the high-seas was much closer to Hambanthota than Colombo.

It was the economic turmoil period, thus my advice to the Minister was that rather than trying to address the China or India factor, let create another factor; factor of policy-based governance under the Presidency of Ranil Wickramasinghe! After all, ‘rule-based-order’ was the terminology the American led camp was repeating in the maritime space, thereby Sri Lanka to stand firm on ‘rule-based-order’ and the Policy-Based-Governance to that of ‘Pressure-Based-Governance’! My action plan sketched out for the Minister was as follows (see image).

Handwritten sketch used to explain the process to the Minister! In between India and China, I created the third front of Donor Countries (in which both India and China were among) and address the Policy-based Governance; not India or China!

There was no point in confronting either India or China, as these two-factors, when tried to make one happy, would create the other unhappy! The third factor was the IMF, and to be precise the IMF Colombo! I suggested to the Minister to summon the two envoys; both India and China and the IMF Chief in Colombo separately to meet the President. This time the envoys comes to listen to the President and not President to hear what the envoys had to say! Even in this, IMF Chief to be summoned the day prior to summoning the two envoys, so that the President’s intent is made to convey to the two envoys as ‘leaked’ information in the diplomatic circle in Colombo.

What I suggested the President to say are as follows;

To the IMF Chief: That I am trying to make Government ‘policy-based’ NOT ‘pressure-based’ thus, the President request the broader understanding among the donor agencies and countries to stay with the Sri Lankan Government by supporting the economic recovery process as a matter of priority than to get distracted by these ship visits.

To the Chinese Envoy: That I am going to permit the Yuan Wang 5 to be docked at Hambanthota as a policy-based decision and wanted that ship to be open for a team of Undergraduates of the Arthur.C.Clarke Centre and Sri Lanka Navy’s team of Hydrographers and Electronic experts. The whole ship visit must be about 4 hours, and the Government Media Unit will be covering the entire event. Further, I wish the Ship’s scientists to host a 2-hour academic/technical discussion onboard with the two Sri Lankan teams.

To the Indian Envoy: That I am going to permit Yuan Wang 5 to be docked in Hambanthota as rule-based-order or policy-based order does not allow me to stop granting requests for a port call. And if the Indian Government have any security considerations to let me know what exactly the Indian concerns are so I will use all my Navy’s technical capacities to monitor and keep Yuan Wang 5 under surveillance during the port call. I will ensure, that the ship is not engaged in any matters detrimental to real-time Indian security considerations. But I want you to keep the Indian media controlled in your side, as Sri Lankan media will be quoting these Indian media reports to create dissention among the communities!

And I suggested to the Minister, that on the day of the docking Yuan Wang 5 in Hambanthota, get all these three; two Envoys and the IMF Chief to a sit-down dinner at the President’s House! On the table, as President as Chair to get the Indian Envoy seated to President’s right and Chinese envoy to get seated to President’s left, and the Foreign Minister seated to Chinese Envoy’s left, Foreign Secretary to seated on the right of Indian envoy, with IMF Chief to the left of Foreign Minister and the Navy Commander to the right of Foreign Secretary! Thus, 7-seat sit-down dinner arrangement; no others and to engage all in very visible cordial engagement; and to give maximum publicity to the sit-down dinner! This whole set up is to show case that I (the President) am in control, to give the message that we (the Government) are engaging all stakeholders of concern, when it comes to matters maritime! I emphasised that this conveyance of message to the world is a necessity to show case that Sri Lanka is in control and know what is happening to take charge of affairs.

However, as it turned out things did not happen the way it was conveyed and when meeting the Minister after about two-weeks’ time in another forum I inquired form him what have had happened! His reply in a way disappointed me on our political leaders who we assumed to be master class! Apparently, the President had his own way of handling matters, and eventually proved that we are yet a ‘pressure-based-governments’ by our action and management! Not only the region and the global players were proven that Sri Lanka is governed by maritime blindness, but also deprived a young generation of opportunity to work with marine science researchers, as the Government took refuge in a mortarium of banning marine science research ships calling on Sri Lankan ports!

As this island State has never invested on marine science research, our Universities and National Agencies such as NARA, are totally dependent on foreign collaborative means for funding and engaging in marine science research. There was an initiative to address and streamline Sri Lanka’s marine science research by ensuring we own the raw data and the processed data for our usage. But this was not meant to stop doing marine science research or to stop these research vessels making port calls for either crew change or replenishment. By serving these ship’s port calls it is Sri Lankan shipping agents that get benefitted as it involves foreign currency payments. And as marine science research is always done at least a year in advance, there is an opportunity for onboard academic or technical knowledge-sharing sessions. I have engaged in similar forums onboard at harbours and have benefitted and contributed too, and this is a necessity in making our next generation of marine scientists; to go onboard, to go to high-seas, to learn to live onboard s ship, to learn to operate technology onboard, to learn to enhance their networking among same age contemporaries etc.   

But the easiest for our political leaders, is to get covered under a mortarium and shy-away from the oceans; just like our kings and queens of yesteryears!

Note: I used to take this episode as a case-study in several forums to emphasize the need to be creative for the occasion; after all, what is the purpose of having Degrees and Paper Qualifications if one cannot design a ‘crisis-management-plan’ that fits to the environment and circumstances prevailing! My advice when the superior does not take your point of view, is to analyse why the superior did that, try getting in to his/her shoes to visualize his thinking and do not bother much of it! Remember that if the superior is a politician, they are political animals trying to survive in the political jungle of them!