MALE: A 4,500-tonne high-tech Chinese language analysis vessel which made a port name right here final week has left the shores of the Maldives, native media stories mentioned on Wednesday. Formally, the Chinese language vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 was right here to “make a port name, for the rotation of its personnel and replenishment.”
“Xiang Yang Hong 03 has returned to the boundary of the Maldives’ Unique Financial Zone (EEZ) after docking in Male on February 22. Nonetheless, regardless of departing from the Male harbour, monitoring websites have proven the vessel’s final sign close to Hulhumale’ two days in the past,” information portal Adhadhu.com mentioned.
Hulhumale is lower than 10 kms northeast of Male. The vessel had docked on February 23 in Thilafushi, about 7.5 kms to the west of Male.
“The vessel is anticipated to have turned off monitoring programs, which it additionally did en path to Male’ on January 22 when it was within the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia,” it reported.
The information portal additionally offered some particulars about the kind of vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03. The 100-metre-long vessel was added to the fleet of China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) in 2016. That is the one 4,500-tonne vessel at present in China. Since 2019, China has additionally been utilizing the vessel to conduct ‘distant water’ and ‘deep sea’ surveys at China’s Pilot Ocean Laboratory, it mentioned.
The vessel may also be used for research on salinity, microbial genetic research, underwater mineral exploration, and underwater life and environmental research, it mentioned. It has knowledge buoys that may measure ocean currents, waves, and vital environmental data. These buoys will present real-time satellite tv for pc data to the Chinese language authorities, the report mentioned.
On January 5, Sri Lanka, whereas denying entry to the Xiang Yang Hong 03, mentioned it has declared a moratorium on overseas analysis ships getting into its waters for a 12 months amid considerations from India over Chinese language analysis vessels docking in its neighbourhood.
By the way, the Chinese language vessel was current close to the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral Dosti-16 train that came about within the ocean close to Male between February 22 and 25.
Earlier on January 23, the brand new China-friendly Maldives authorities mentioned it had permitted the analysis vessel, geared up to hold analysis and surveys, to dock at Male port, saying the halt was for replenishment and that it could “not be conducting any analysis whereas within the Maldivian waters.”
An American think-tank has alleged {that a} huge fleet of China’s “scientific analysis” ships is gathering knowledge from the oceans, together with within the Indian Ocean Area, for navy functions, particularly for submarine operations, a cost denied by Beijing, which mentioned the Chinese language vessels operations are in step with the UN Conference on Regulation of the Seas (UNCLOS).
China’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson has beforehand defended the port name by the Chinese language analysis ship to the Maldives saying, “China’s scientific analysis actions in related waters are for peaceable functions and aimed toward contributing to humanity’s scientific understanding of the ocean.”
The Maldives’ proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland’s western coast, and its location on the hub of business sea lanes operating by way of the Indian Ocean Area (IOR) offers it vital strategic significance.
“Xiang Yang Hong 03 has returned to the boundary of the Maldives’ Unique Financial Zone (EEZ) after docking in Male on February 22. Nonetheless, regardless of departing from the Male harbour, monitoring websites have proven the vessel’s final sign close to Hulhumale’ two days in the past,” information portal Adhadhu.com mentioned.
Hulhumale is lower than 10 kms northeast of Male. The vessel had docked on February 23 in Thilafushi, about 7.5 kms to the west of Male.
“The vessel is anticipated to have turned off monitoring programs, which it additionally did en path to Male’ on January 22 when it was within the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia,” it reported.
The information portal additionally offered some particulars about the kind of vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03. The 100-metre-long vessel was added to the fleet of China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) in 2016. That is the one 4,500-tonne vessel at present in China. Since 2019, China has additionally been utilizing the vessel to conduct ‘distant water’ and ‘deep sea’ surveys at China’s Pilot Ocean Laboratory, it mentioned.
The vessel may also be used for research on salinity, microbial genetic research, underwater mineral exploration, and underwater life and environmental research, it mentioned. It has knowledge buoys that may measure ocean currents, waves, and vital environmental data. These buoys will present real-time satellite tv for pc data to the Chinese language authorities, the report mentioned.
On January 5, Sri Lanka, whereas denying entry to the Xiang Yang Hong 03, mentioned it has declared a moratorium on overseas analysis ships getting into its waters for a 12 months amid considerations from India over Chinese language analysis vessels docking in its neighbourhood.
By the way, the Chinese language vessel was current close to the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral Dosti-16 train that came about within the ocean close to Male between February 22 and 25.
Earlier on January 23, the brand new China-friendly Maldives authorities mentioned it had permitted the analysis vessel, geared up to hold analysis and surveys, to dock at Male port, saying the halt was for replenishment and that it could “not be conducting any analysis whereas within the Maldivian waters.”
An American think-tank has alleged {that a} huge fleet of China’s “scientific analysis” ships is gathering knowledge from the oceans, together with within the Indian Ocean Area, for navy functions, particularly for submarine operations, a cost denied by Beijing, which mentioned the Chinese language vessels operations are in step with the UN Conference on Regulation of the Seas (UNCLOS).
China’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson has beforehand defended the port name by the Chinese language analysis ship to the Maldives saying, “China’s scientific analysis actions in related waters are for peaceable functions and aimed toward contributing to humanity’s scientific understanding of the ocean.”
The Maldives’ proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland’s western coast, and its location on the hub of business sea lanes operating by way of the Indian Ocean Area (IOR) offers it vital strategic significance.
