According to a report by the "Hindustan Times" on the 24th, India will send its navy to track and monitor the mainland's "Xiangyanghong 3" scientific research ship in the Indian Ocean.
According to the report, the Maldives ignored India's repeated concerns and allowed the Chinese research ship "Xiangyanghong 3" to dock at the Malé port in the Maldives for material replenishment. The Maldives has received a request from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Xiangyanghong 3 to call at the port.
In a statement, the Maldives stressed that the "Xiangyanghong 3" was only calling at the port of Malé for personnel rotation and supplies such as food and fuel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives told the media that the decision to allow the "Xiangyanghong 3" to dock in Malé was made in response to a request by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The "Xiangyanghong 3" docked at Malé for the necessary rotation of personnel and supplies such as food and oil, and will not conduct any scientific research activities in the territorial waters of the Maldives.
"The Maldives has always welcomed the call of ships from friendly countries and will continue to open its ports to civilian or military vessels for peaceful purposes," the Maldives said in a statement. Such visits not only benefit the development of bilateral relations between the Maldives and the relevant partner countries, but also reflect the centuries-old tradition of the Maldivian people to welcome ships from friendly countries. ”
It is said that the "Xiangyanghong 3" is currently in the southwest waters of the Indian Ocean and will dock at the port of Male on February 5.
Last year, India repeatedly pressured Sri Lanka and the Maldives not to allow Chinese research vessels to visit Hong Kong. Under pressure from India, Sri Lanka announced on December 22, 2023, that it would not allow any research vessels to enter its EEZ throughout 2024. At the beginning of the tenure of the new President of the Maldives, Moizu, India once again expressed its concern to the Maldives. But the Maldives decided to dock China's Xiangyanghong 3 research vessel. The Maldives is a sovereign State with the right to conduct its external relations as it wishes.
According to the Hindustan Times, the Indian Navy will send warships to track and monitor the research vessel Xiangyanghong 3 to ensure that the ship will not carry out any maritime expeditions in the exclusive economic zone of the Maldives.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world, covering an area of nearly 75 million square kilometers, accounting for about 20% of the world's total ocean area. The Indian Ocean is connected to the northwest mouth of the Strait of Malacca in the east, the east mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the west, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Mozambique in the south, and the Strait of Hormuz in the north.
In the Indian Ocean, there are Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, French Reunion, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Chagos Archipelago, Andaman Nicobar Islands, etc., all of which are tourist destinations with stunning marine scenery. The Indian Ocean is also dotted with dense sea routes, which are essential for the transportation of international bulk energy, food and mineral resources.
The Indian Ocean is not India's "inner lake", let alone the "Sea of Bharat". The ambition of the "first brother" of South Asia, Balat, is really a bit big, and he wants to dominate the "Indian Ocean", which is not only opposed by the surrounding countries, but also by the big powers on the earth. The USS John Paul Jones, the destroyer USS John Paul Jones, carried out a "freedom of navigation" operation near India's Lakshadweep Islands, and Balratt only learned about it after the fact.