Chinese Survey Ship Visit to Maldives Raises Indian Ocean Security Concerns | World News



BEIJING: A Chinese language analysis ship arrived within the Maldives on Thursday, world ship-tracking knowledge confirmed, simply three months after the same vessel visited the Indian Ocean and sparked New Delhi’s safety issues.
The go to follows January feedback by a US suppose tank that China’s navy might “leverage the insights gained from these missions” for deployment of naval forces, a declare Beijing calls a part of a concocted image-smearing “China menace” narrative.
Xiang Yang Hong 03, owned by a analysis institute that stories to China’s pure assets ministry, made a port name within the Maldives capital of Male, knowledge from MarineTraffic confirmed, greater than a month after leaving its dwelling port of Xiamen in southeastern China.
Previous to its arrival, the civilian ship had spent greater than three weeks surveying waters simply exterior the unique financial zones of India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the ship-tracking knowledge confirmed.
China’s overseas ministry has stated analysis by the vessel was “completely” for peaceable functions to profit scientific understanding.
In recent times, India has voiced concern in regards to the presence of China’s analysis vessels within the Indian Ocean, even when they don’t belong to the navy.
An Indian safety official has beforehand stated the vessels had been “dual-use”, that means the info they collect can be utilized for each civilian and navy functions.
Xiang Yang Hong 03 has visited the Indian Ocean a number of occasions.
It sailed by the Sunda Strait in Indonesia in 2021, alarming Indonesian authorities, who stated it had switched off its monitoring system thrice.
Chinese language analysis vessels have additionally stopped in close by Sri Lanka.
In 2022, Yuan Wang 5, a navy vessel able to monitoring rocket and missile launches, arrived in Colombo, alarming India.
The final time a Chinese language analysis vessel docked in Sri Lanka was in October 2023, reviving India’s issues. However in January, the island nation imposed a year-long moratorium on overseas analysis ships, successfully denying China a port of name.
Xiang Yang Hong 03’s arrival follows a January go to to China by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu that upgraded ties, with Beijing providing 920 million yuan ($128 million) in “free help”.
The Maldives has stated the vessel would do no analysis in its waters, stopping just for personnel rotation and replenishment of provides.





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