New Delhi: The Maldives on Tuesday (January 23) announced that it has allowed a Chinese research vessel, whose activities in the Indian Ocean had previously raised red flags, to dock at Malé port, but that the vessel will not conduct research in Maldivian waters.The Wire had reported on Monday about the Chinese research vessel, Xiang Yang Hong 03, which left southern China’s Sanya port earlier this month and is scheduled to arrive in Malé within a couple weeks from now.The activities of Chinese research vessels in the Indo-Pacific have garnered scrutiny over the past few years, as they are thought to serve both scientific and military purposes.On Tuesday, the Maldivian foreign ministry said that China had made a request for clearances for Xiang Yang Hong 03 at Malé for “rotation of personnel and replenishment”.It added that the vessel would “not be conducting any research while in [Maldivian] waters”.Confirming approval for China’s request on Tuesday, the statement continued, “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”.The statement also emphasised that such port calls enhance relations between the Maldives and partner countries.“The Maldives continues to uphold international best practices, and relevant international maritime law on all such cases,” it concluded.The scheduled port call is set to occur within a month of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to China, underscoring the increased interactions between Malé and Beijing since the Maldives’ new administration assumed office last November after the presidential elections.There is still no indication whether India has registered any concern with the Maldives over the port call.Earlier, both New Delhi and Washington raised objections to the presence of Chinese research vessels at Sri Lankan ports.In response to conflicting pressures from regional powers, Colombo has imposed a one-year moratorium on the entry of all research vessels into Sri Lankan waters.A recent report by US think tank CSIS on Chinese research vessels, released this month, highlighted that many of these vessels are owned and operated by organisations affiliated with the Chinese state and closely linked to the military. The report specifically pointed out that the Xiang Yang Hong class of vessels were previously under the supervision of China’s State Oceanic Administration, which has connections to the Chinese military. However, they are now under the management of institutes within the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, which also maintains close ties to the military.Independent intelligence researcher Daniel Symon observed that the Xiang Yang Hong 03 has been conducting surveys in the Bay of Bengal since November 2019 and in the Arabian Sea a year later. According to a 2020 report, the same Chinese ship, currently en route to Malé, had ventured within 30 nautical miles of the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands four years ago. It also conducted a bathymetric survey in waters that included part of the US extended economic zone. Several months later, the vessel appeared to be engaged in research near Hawaii but abruptly changed its course.