April 26th 2024.
A state-of-the-art Chinese research ship, weighing 4,500 tonnes, has returned to the waters of Maldives after a two-month hiatus. This comes after the vessel previously spent a week at various ports in the archipelago nation, making headlines as it docked at the Thilafushi industrial island's harbor on Thursday morning, as reported by the news portal Adhadhu.com on Friday.
The reason for the ship's return has not been disclosed by the government yet. However, sources reveal that the government had given permission for the vessel to dock before its initial visit. This news comes in the wake of President Mohamed Muizzu, who is known for his pro-China stance, leading the People's National Congress to victory in the general elections, securing a majority of 66 out of 93 seats in the People's Majlis.
President Muizzu, who had previously campaigned on the promise of distancing the country from India, has further strengthened his position with a super majority win in the parliamentary polls held on April 21. The Xiang Yang Hong 03 has now returned after skirting the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Maldives. It has been active within or near the territory since January, according to reports.
The hi-tech vessel had earlier docked at the same Thilafushi port on February 23, located about 7.5 km west of Male. It had reached the Maldivian waters on February 22, after spending a month near the boundary of Maldives' EEZ. The vessel then went back to the EEZ boundary after six days.
In February, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry had confirmed that the Xiang Yang Hong 03 was here for a port call to rotate its personnel and replenish its supplies. This came after a diplomatic request was made by the Chinese government to Maldives. The Foreign Ministry had also stated that the vessel would not be conducting any research while in Maldivian waters.
The strategic location of Maldives, just 70 nautical miles from India's Minicoy island in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, makes it of significant importance in the Indian Ocean Region, being at the hub of commercial sea lanes.
In February, local media had reported details about the vessel, stating that it was a 100-meter-long addition to China's State Oceanic Administration's fleet in 2016. This is currently the only 4,500-tonne vessel in China. Since 2019, the vessel has been used for distant water and deep-sea surveys at China's Pilot Ocean Laboratory.
The vessel is equipped to conduct research on salinity, microbial genetics, underwater mineral exploration, and underwater life and environmental studies. It also has data buoys that can measure ocean currents, waves, and important environmental information, providing real-time satellite data to the Chinese government, as per reports.
On Friday, Adhadhu.com quoted China's State Oceanic Administration, which manages the Xiang Yang Hong 03, stating that it is the most modern vessel manufactured in the country for marine research. China claims that the vessel is a comprehensive research vessel, capable of performing multiple tasks.
The vessel has an endurance of 15,000 nautical miles, which means it can travel non-stop for 15,000 nautical miles without any assistance. Interestingly, the same Chinese vessel was present during the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral Dosti-16 exercise, which took place in the ocean near Male from February 22 to 25.
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