Report: Chinese Research Vessel Leaves Maldives Amid Controversy - Strategic Implications Explained

The shores of the Maldives were left by a 4,500-tonne high-tech Chinese research vessel, which made a port call here last week, according to reports from local media on Wednesday.

Officially, it was stated that the Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 had been here to "make a port call, for the rotation of its personnel and replenishment." "Xiang Yang Hong 03 has returned to the boundary of the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after docking in Male on February 22. However, despite departing from the Male harbour, tracking sites have shown the vessel's last signal near Hulhumale' two days ago," said news portal Adhadhu.com.

Chinese research ship departs

Hulhumale, which is less than 10 km northeast of Male, was the location where the vessel had docked on February 23. The news portal reported, "The vessel is expected to have turned off tracking systems, which it also did en route to Male' on January 22 when it was in the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia."

Details about the type of vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03 were also provided by the news portal. It mentioned that the 100-metre-long vessel was added to the fleet of China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) in 2016. It is currently the only 4,500-tonne vessel in China. Since 2019, China has also been utilizing the vessel to conduct 'distant water' and 'deep sea' surveys at China's Pilot Ocean Laboratory.

The vessel has capabilities for studies on salinity, microbial genetic studies, underwater mineral exploration, and underwater life and environmental studies, as per the report. Additionally, it is equipped with data buoys capable of measuring ocean currents, waves, and important environmental information, which will provide real-time satellite information to the Chinese government.

Sri Lanka, on January 5, declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year, denying entry to the Xiang Yang Hong 03 amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels docking in its neighborhood.

The Chinese vessel was present near the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral Dosti-16 exercise that took place in the ocean near Male between February 22 and 25.

Earlier, on January 23, the new China-friendly Maldives government announced that it had permitted the research vessel, equipped to carry out research and surveys, to dock at Male port, stating that the halt was for replenishment and that it would "not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters."

An American think-tank has alleged that a vast fleet of China's "scientific research" ships is collecting data from the oceans, including in the Indian Ocean Region, for military purposes, especially for submarine operations, a charge denied by Beijing, which said the Chinese vessels' operations are in line with the UN Convention on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson has previously defended the port call by the Chinese research ship to the Maldives, stating, "China's scientific research activities in relevant waters are for peaceful purposes and aimed at contributing to humanity's scientific understanding of the ocean."

The strategic importance of the Maldives, located barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), is significant.

With PTI Inputs