Chinese warships enter Indian Ocean amid crisis

Beijing, Feb. 20: Amid the raging political crisis in Maldives, five Chinese naval ships sailed into the eastern Indian Ocean to join six other vessels, a Chinese news portal reported on Tuesday, days after the former Maldivian president Muhamad Nasheed appealed to India to intervene militarily to resolve the political crisis in the island nation.

The Chinese ships included an amphibious landing vessel, the report in mil.news.sina.com.cn said.

China has been proactively opposing any foreign intervention in Maldives since President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom, regarded as close to China, had clamped emergency early this month and arrested Supreme Court judges and the opposition leaders.

The Peoples Liberation Army Navy already has three naval vessels in the three main areas of the eastern, southern and western Indian Ocean. China at present has 11 surface warships in the region, it said.

The warships included destroyers, a missile frigates and other major warships, an amphibious dock landing ship, and a comprehensive supply ship. Overall, the Chinese Navy is sending out an amphibious convoy fleet with regional air defence, anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities and the ability to deliver rather large-scale amphibious troops quickly, it said.

Just around the time the Chinese “zhanlan 2018A” fleet has been training in the Indian Ocean for a week or so, the Chinese foreign ministry asserted that Beijing is opposed to any foreign intervention in Maldives.

The Maldives’ Parliament on Tuesday extended the state of emergency by another 30 days. — PTI