THE Sri Lankan foreign ministry, however apologetically, has asked China that its research ship Yuan Wang 5 to postpone its visit to Hambantota port under pressure from India, which regards the vessel as a "spy ship", Reuters reports.

In a letter to the Chinese embassy in Colombo the foreign ministry said it "wishes to request that the arrival date" of the ship be deferred until further consultation on the matter.

The ship had been given permission to enter the port on July 12. India has expressed its concern with the government of Sri Lanka and as always concerned itself with matters of national security.

The request was made on the basis of an India-Sri Lanka bilateral agreement signed in 1987 that no ship would be allowed to dock in Sri Lanka for military purposes by any country in a manner prejudicial to India's security.

In response to India's concerns it was stated that the ship was to call for refueling and replenishing and to avail itself of other facilities and provisions.