The Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03, which gave rise to much controversy in the region, is currently moored close to Male' City.
The Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03, which gave rise to much controversy in the region, is currently moored close to Male' City.
As per the Marine Traffic website, the ship has been moored close to Male' City during this morning. Around noon, the ship was shown to be near Thilafushi.
In a statement released in late January, Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that permission for docking had been granted to the ship after receiving a diplomatic request from the government of China for permission to make a port call for the purposes of replenishment and rotation of personnel.
They stated that the ship will not be conducting any surveys in the Maldives waters even though it docks in the country's port.
The statement went on to say that Maldives has always welcomed both civilian and military vessels from friendly nations to make port calls when necessary, adding that this contributes to strengthening ties between Maldives and those nations.
Although the ship is not a military vehicle, India and some other countries have raised concerns that the information gathered by this ship may be used for civil and military purposes.
With increased pressure from India, Sri Lanka banned the vessel from docking at the country's port during its travels. Sri Lanka has gone on to ban the entry of Chinese research vessels into its economic territory for a period of one year.
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