At the behest of Xi, Chinese diplomats shared Beijing’s final plan about the spy vessel’s journey with their counterparts.
Maldives may have said that it received a diplomatic request from China for necessary clearances for the ship to make a port call for rotation of personnel and replenishment, but the reality is that Beijing’s plan to send its spy vessel to India’s maritime backyard was finalised during Maldivian President Mohamed Muizu’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital two weeks ago.
“At the behest of Xi, Chinese diplomats shared Beijing’s final plan about the spy vessel’s journey with their counterparts from Maldivian Foreign Ministry,” diplomatic sources following the development in Male and Beijing told The Daily Guardian. “China’s decision to send the spy ship in India’s maritime backyard came only after Muizzu’s approval for the same during his visit to Beijing itself. There was no process of request being sent by the Chinese foreign ministry for approval of the Maldivian government as is being said by Male now. There was proper planning for it,” sources aware of the development said, adding, “Maldives is ready to help China to facilitate research vessel activities after Sri Lanka refused”.
“New Delhi’s diplomatic, security, military, naval and intelligence establishments are fully aware that China had planned it the day Muizzu took charge of Maldives as the President,” sources said, adding, “India is also aware that President Muizzu has assured the Chinese side of allowing more vessels to make a port call at Male regardless of Delhi’s concerns.” So Male cannot be trusted when it is saying that it allowed a dual use “spy” Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03 to make a port call only after diplomatic request from the Chinese government, say sources, adding, “diplomatic requests might have been made just to fulfil the documentary formality, but the final plan was worked out before January 10 when Muizzu was in Beijing”.
In its statement, Male said, “Concerning the media reports regarding the port call of the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 at Male, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to inform that a diplomatic request was made by the Government of China to the Government of Maldives, for the necessary clearances to make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment. The vessel would not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters.
“The Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for vessels of friendly countries, and continues to host both civilian and military vessels making port calls for peaceful purposes. Such port calls not only enhance bilateral ties between the Maldives and its partner countries, but also demonstrate the centuries old tradition of the Maldivian people welcoming vessels from friendly countries,” the Maldivian government statement added.
Diplomatic sources here say that the second part of the Maldivian government’s statement clearly signals that it will be allowing more such vessels from China to dock at Male. “Nothing is hidden in it, as everything is clear.
The agenda of the Maldives is clear that China will be allowed to needle India as has been its policy,” said a diplomat.
So, the diplomatic establishment in India is not happy with the statement from Maldives, saying that Mohamed Muizzu allowed China to dock its research ship in Male with proper planning to foment troubles for India. Experts say that Maldives is playing a role of enabler to China which is aggressively engaged in mapping the Indian Ocean bed and collecting seismic and other significant data to facilitate submarine operations in India’s maritime backyard.
Similarly, Maldives’ Foreign Ministry statement that the Chinese research vessel would not conduct any research in the country’s waters in the Indian Ocean can also not be trusted. Experts are of the view that this claim is laughable as Male had no capability to detect such activity. Sources say the Chinese surveillance ship is currently in the South West Indian ocean region and is expected to dock at Male seaport on February 5. India has already expressed its reservations over surveillance activity of the said Chinese spy ship to Sri Lanka and Maldives last year. India renewed its concerns to Male after Mohamed Muizzu-led government was sworn in on November 17. It is on the basis of Indian concerns that Sri Lanka on December 22 announced that it will not allow any surveillance ship in its EEZ for the entire 2024.