The Implications of the Chinese Submarine's Visit to Sri Lanka

The visiting Sri Lankan Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera perfectly played to the gallery on Monday. Ruling out any Chinese military presence in the island nation, he said, "India's security is as our security."

He wanted India to believe that the co-operation between China and Sri Lanka are purely commercial in nature. His comments come after concerns expressed in various quarters over the increasing presence of the Chinese military in Sri Lanka.

Last month, the People's Liberation Army-Navy's (PLA-N) Type-039 Song Class submarine had docked in Colombo, signalling China's reach in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

While Vice Admiral Perera claimed that the submarine was not a nuclear one, experts in India feel that its visit has several implications.

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