China’s research and intelligence ships are flocking to the capital Male amid ongoing hostility between India and the Maldives. The name of this civilian ship is ‘Xiang Yang Hong-3’. Such news came amid extreme diplomatic tension between New Delhi and Mal.
The ship has already crossed the Malacca Strait from the South China Sea and reached the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. The research vessel is expected to arrive in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, sometime in the first week of February.
Meanwhile, the ship will be stationed in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Ocean for the next four months. The ship is also believed to be mapping underwater structures and monitoring the activities of the Indian Navy.
Chinese research vessel enters Indian Ocean. The ship’s destination is Male. The ship is expected to carry out marine surveys in the Indian Ocean. This will certainly increase New Delhi’s anxiety several fold.
Meanwhile, a top official of the Indian Armed Forces said on condition of anonymity that they are keeping a strict watch on the movements of the Chinese ships.
However, none of the parties who contacted the Maldives President’s Office, India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have commented on the matter. But before that, Maldivian ministers’ comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s film caused a rift in the relationship between the two countries. A series of offensive comments towards each other led to arguments that escalated into extreme animosity.
