The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that the research conducted by a Chinese vessel docking at a Maldives port is solely aimed at promoting peaceful objectives and advancing scientific knowledge, according to Reuters.
The Xiang Yang Hong 3 will “make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment”, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry had said in a statement in January.
The presence of the vessel is likely to raise the concern of India, which has previously viewed such vessels close to its shores as problematic.
On 3 January, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu gave permission to Chinese research vessels to dock in the Maldives “despite sustained pressure from the Indian government”, Sri Lanka Guardian reported.
