Chinese research ship enters Maldives waters
MALE: A 4,500-tonne high-tech Chinese research ship is back in the Maldivian waters, two months after it spent a week docked at different ports in this archipelago nation. Xiang Yang Hong 03 was docked at the Thilafushi industrial island’s harbour on Thursday morning, news portal Adhadhu.com reported on Friday.
However, “the government has not disclosed the reason for its return. But the government previously confirmed permission for the ship to dock before its first visit”, it said, days after President Mohamed Muizzu, a pro-china leader-led People’s National Congress won the general election, securing 66 out of the 93-member People’s Majlis.
Muizzu rode to power last year on an ‘India Out’ promise and with a super majority win in parliamentary polls on April 21, he has further consolidated his position. “The ship has now come back after skirting the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Therefore, Xiang Yang Hong 03 has been active inside or near Maldives territory since January,” it said. The ship had earlier docked on February 23 at the same Thilafushi port, about 7.5km to the west of Male. The hi-tech ship reached Maldivian waters on February 22 after spending about a month near the boundary of the Maldives’ EEZ. About six days later, the ship went back to the EEZ boundary.
In February, the Maldivian foreign ministry had said the Xiang Yang Hong 3 was here to “make a port call, for the rotation of its personnel and replenishment” after a diplomatic request was made by the government of China to the government of Maldives. The Maldives’ proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland’s western coast, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the IOR gives it significant strategic importance.