Yuan Wang 5 standoff: Sri Lanka’s IMF process may be under threat
Posted on August 11th, 2022
By Pranab Dhal Samanta Courtesy The economic Times
Synopsis
The worrying part is that China may link Sri Lanka’s message to defer the Yuan Wang 5’s ‘refueling stop’ at Hambantota with the IMF approval process. According to Beijing, this is a research vessel, making a routine halt with no negative intent.
Can Sri Lanka’s resistance against letting China dock the Yuan Wang 5 at Hambantota stall its efforts for a bailout package at the International Monetary Fund? Yes, if China decides so. And by accounts reaching Delhi, it appears Beijing has sought to play this card in their hectic conversations with Colombo to go back on its advice to defer the ship’s visit.
So, just how can China play spoiler? For Sri Lanka’s bailout package to go through, it requires first an approval of principal cre ..