Chinese Spy Ship Approaches Maldives In New Worry For India

Amidst heightened tensions, a Chinese spy ship, camouflaged as a 'research' vessel, is raising concerns in New Delhi as it approaches the Maldives. The situation has added urgency, especially following recent critical remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three Maldivian ministers, sparking a diplomatic row.

The Marine Tracker app indicates the ship's current location off the coast of Indonesia, en route to the Maldives, with an expected arrival date of February 8. Geospatial expert Damien Symon notes that the same ship surveyed these waters in 2019 and 2020.

This development occurs against the backdrop of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's meeting with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing, suggesting a potential shift in geopolitical and military alliances in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). President Muizzu, who won the election with an "India Out" campaign, has already demanded the withdrawal of nearly 100 Indian soldiers and military assets from the Maldives by March 15.

The Chinese spy ship, Xiang Yang Hong 03, weighing 4,300 tons, is ostensibly engaged in ocean floor mapping, a practice that provides data to anticipate natural disasters and aids navigation. However, such activities also raise concerns about China's strategic interests in the region.

The presence of Chinese ' research vessels' and warships at multiple locations, including Sri Lanka, Hambantota, Karachi in Pakistan, Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and now the Maldives, suggests a pattern that could potentially isolate India's west coast.

This latest development compounds existing worries for the Indian government, given China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean. Satellite images accessed by NDTV in August 2022 revealed an operational Chinese naval base in Djibouti, capable of supporting warships and helicopters.

As regional dynamics evolve, the situation underscores the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and the ongoing geopolitical competition in the region, prompting a need for India to carefully navigate its diplomatic and security challenges.

चीनी जासूस जहाज मालदीव के पास पहुंचा, भारत के लिए नई चिंता।