China's research vessel returns to Maldives EEZ after departing from Male: Report

China's research vessel - Xiang Yang Hong 03 - has returned to the boundary of the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after docking in Male, Maldives-based Adhadhu reported on Wednesday. The ship arrived in Male' on February 22. Despite departing from Male, the vessel's last signal was detected near Hulhumale two days ago, the report said citing marine tracking sites. Hulhumale is located in the south of North Malé Atoll. 

The vessel is expected to have turned off tracking systems, which it also did en route to Male' on January 22 when it was in the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia, the report said. 

Adhadhu said its analysis using satellite AIS tracking showed the Chinese vessel was now about 190 miles east of Fuvahmulah inside the EEZ of Maldives. Its direction is away from the EEZ, the report said. The vessel spent about a month traveling in the same pattern near the EEZ before docking in Male. Research vessels typically sail in such patterns to conduct research, according to the report.

In January, Maldives' Foreign Ministry said the vessel was making a port call for rotation of personnel and replenishment. The ministry said the Chinese vessel would not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters. 

However, Indian geostrategist Brahma Chellaney said Male had zero capability to find out whether the Chinese vessel was indulging in research activity in the Indian Ocean - a region where Beijing is competing with India to gain influence as it is a crucial shipping route. 

Chellaney said China is aggressively engaged in mapping the Indian Ocean bed and collecting seismic and bathymetric data to facilitate submarine operations in India's maritime backyard. "And the Maldives, under its new Islamist-leaning, pro-China president, is becoming an enabler," he said when President Mohamed Muizzu allowed China to dock its vessel in Male. 

"Maldivian President Muizzu has agreed to host a Chinese spy ship whose mission is to collate data on undersea conditions," the geostrategist said. "The Muizzu government claim that the PLA-linked ship would not conduct oceanographic research in the Maldivian waters is laughable as the Maldives has zero capability to detect such activity."