US expresses concern to Sri Lanka over Chinese research ship's planned visit: Report

New York/Colombo, Sep 26 (PTI) The US has expressed concern to Sri Lanka about the likely visit of a Chinese research ship next month that could also cause worries in India which in the past has raised security concerns over docking by China's spy vessels, according to a media report US Under Secretary Victoria Nuland, who met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, raised concerns about the upcoming visit of the Chinese research vessel 'SHI YAN 6', Daily Mirror newspaper reported on Monday.

Minister Sabry briefed her that Sri Lanka, as a neutral country, had worked out the Standard Operating Procedure (SPO) to be followed by foreign ships and aircraft in carrying out any activity in Sri Lankan territory.

The minister reportedly told her that Sri Lanka had been even-handed in this approach for all the countries and could not exclude China from the process as a result. Earlier, President Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that the SPO had been worked out for foreign vessels.