The ship was originally due to arrive last week, but Sri Lankan authorities asked Beijing to postpone the visit following objections from India, which shares Western concerns about China’s activities in the region.
But on Saturday, after intense negotiations, Colombo made a U-turn and said permission had been granted for the ship to dock in Hambantota and stay there for six days.
Yuan Wang 5 is described as a research vessel, but Indian media claim that it also functions as a spy vessel. The vessel was given permission to enter Sri Lankan waters on the condition that no research would be carried out there.