A Chinese spy ship will anchor at a Maldivian port for refueling after getting permission from the Maldivian government.
China calls it a research and survey ship. But many countries including America and India believe that this is a spy ship which keeps an eye on China’s neighboring countries.
Maldives’ Foreign Ministry said that China’s research ship ‘Xiang Yang Hong 3′ will not conduct any research work while in Maldives’ waters.
However, sources in the Indian defense establishment said that India is keeping a close watch on the movement of the ship.
Maldives’ Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the Chinese government had made a diplomatic request for the necessary clearance for the ‘port call’.
‘Port call’ means stopping of a ship at a port for some time during its journey. The statement also said that the Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for ships of friendly countries and will continue to host civilian and military vessels for peaceful purposes.
“Such port calls not only expand bilateral relations between the Maldives and its partner countries, but also reflect the age-old tradition of the Maldivian people welcoming ships coming from friendly countries,” it said “
The permission to the Chinese ship has been given amid tensions in relations between India and Maldives.
Maldives’ new President Mohammed Muizzu visited China as part of his first foreign trip after coming to power and assuming office. Traditionally, the President of Maldives has been visiting India as his first foreign visit.
Officials aware of the developments said on Tuesday that the ship entered the Indian Ocean region through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia on Monday.
Since then the Indian Navy is keeping an eye on the Chinese ship. According to ‘Marine Traffic’, a private website that monitors the movement of ships, an eight-year-old Chinese ship may anchor at a port in Male on February 8.
Maldives is barely 70 nautical miles from Minicoy island of Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the west coast of the mainland.
It is strategically important as it is the hub of commercial sea routes passing through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Let us tell you that earlier China had requested Sri Lanka to dock its ship. The Chinese ship is heading towards Male after the Sri Lankan government denied it permission to dock.