International Desk: A Chinese ship named Xiang Yang Hong-03 is heading towards the Maldives coast for research purposes. The presence of Chinese vessels off the Maldivian coast may raise India’s concerns. An intelligence expert, Damien Simon, said in a post on the micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter) that the ship’s destination is Male, the capital of the Maldives.
The vessel is expected to conduct survey operations in the Indian Ocean region. And this is what India is thinking. An Indian military official confirmed Simon’s statement and said they were monitoring the ship’s movements.
India views such ships near its coast as a nuisance. These ships are not military ships. However, India and other countries are concerned that the research on these ships could be used for military purposes.
Earlier in 2022, India raised the issue of the presence of such Chinese ships off the coast of Sri Lanka near India. In 2019, India expelled another Chinese research vessel from its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for unauthorized entry.
A senior Indian security official said China’s research vessels play a dual role. The data collected by these ships through extensive research can be used for both military and civilian purposes. These ships can also play a role in the deployment of submarines in the Indian Ocean. India’s relations with the country have soured ever since pro-Chinese Mohammad Muijju was installed as president of the Maldives in November following the ‘Bharat Khedao’ campaign.
India and China are competing for influence over the small island nation of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. But the new Maldivian government is leaning towards China and has given India a deadline of March 15 to withdraw its nearly 80 troops stationed in the Maldives.
