Amid escalating tensions between India and Maldives, a Chinese ‘research’ vessel reportedly entered the waters of the island nation on Thursday (Feb 22), according to news agency Reuters, citing global ship-tracking data.
This occurrence comes just three months after a similar vessel visited the Indian Ocean, prompting security concerns among Indian authorities.
The visit by the ship follows remarks from a US think tank suggesting that China’s navy could use insights gleaned from such missions for naval deployments, a claim that Beijing dismisses as part of a fabricated narrative aimed at tarnishing China’s image.
The vessel in question, Xiang Yang Hong 03, is owned by a research institute under China’s natural resources ministry. It docked in Male after departing from its home port of Xiamen in southeastern China over a month ago, as per data from MarineTraffic cited in the Reuters report.
Prior to its arrival, the civilian ship spent three weeks conducting surveys in waters beyond the exclusive economic zones of India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, as indicated by ship-tracking data.
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