Male, Maldives:
The arrival of a controversial Chinese research vessel in the Maldives on Thursday is the latest sign of the archipelago’s diplomatic reorientation toward Beijing and away from its traditional benefactor, India.
Local residents said they discovered China’s Xiangyanghong 3 at the Thilafushi industrial port near the capital Male.
The 100-meter-long (328-foot) vessel was anchored at an anchorage near Male on Thursday evening, the Marinetraffic website reported.
The pro-Beijing government of the Maldives earlier said the ship was docking at the port to rotate crew and deliver supplies on the condition that it would not conduct “research” within its territorial waters.
India is skeptical of China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence over Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which are strategically located halfway between the east-west international shipping lanes.
Relations between Male and New Delhi have cooled since pro-China President Mohamed Muizou won elections last year.
Muizul gave India until March 15 to withdraw 89 security personnel stationed in the Maldives who are responsible for surveillance aircraft.
But the president also insists he does not want to upend relations with New Delhi by replacing Indian troops with Chinese troops.
Since 2022, Chinese ships have called at Sri Lankan ports twice more, arousing opposition from India, and Sri Lanka refused entry to Xiangyanghong 3.
These include the Yuanwang-5 vessel, which specializes in spacecraft tracking and is described by New Delhi as a spy ship.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
