China has deployed three research ships to the Indian Ocean, a region considered part of India’s sphere of influence, as Beijing continues to expand its maritime presence.
Newsweek has contacted India’s Ministry of External Affairs for comment via email. China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
India is a key security partner of the United States in countering China’s increasingly assertive activities across the Indo-Pacific, with both nations part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, alongside Australia and Japan. The four-country strategic alignment seeks to keep China at bay as the East Asian power extends its influence.
China’s expansion of its military footprint across the Indian Ocean is supported by the country’s “dual use” civilian research ships, the largest fleet of its kind in the world. The vessels can provide critical maritime data to support military missions in distant waters, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported in January 2024.
What To Know
Citing open-source ship-tracking data, Ray Powell, a maritime analyst who heads the Stanford University-affiliated analysis group SeaLight, said Chinese ships Lan Hai 201, Shen Hai Yi Hao and Shi Yan 6 were operating in the Indian Ocean as of Wednesday.
According to Chinese state media, the Lan Hai 201, or Blue Ocean 201, is a large, comprehensive fishery scientific survey vessel capable of collecting and analyzing data and samples, with “global navigation capabilities” outside both polar ice regions.
The Shen Hai Yi Hao, or Deep Sea No. 1, is equipped with a manned submersible to collect deep-sea samples, including organisms and sediments. The Shi Yan 6, or Experiment 6, is a deep-ocean scientific research ship used for geophysical surveys.
Tracking data shows the Lan Hai 201 has been surveying near India and the Maldives since November 13, according to Powell, while the Shen Hai Yi Hao has been operating around Diego Garcia—a key U.S. military outpost—since November 10.
Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence analyst on the social media platform X, said on Monday that the Shi Yan 6 was sailing toward Mauritius after passing through Indonesian waters as it entered the eastern Indian Ocean from Southeast Asia.
It was not clear what the Chinese ships’ missions were. Beijing has previously said the country’s scientific research activities at sea comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and are intended to improve understanding of the ocean.
While Chinese research vessels conduct missions across the Indian Ocean, India has declared a no-fly zone for a likely missile test in the Bay of Bengal off its eastern coast that extends over 1,000 miles from shore, effective December 1-4, according to Symon.
What People Are Saying
The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report in January 2024: “China is undertaking sweeping efforts to transform its navy into a formidable ‘blue water’ force capable of projecting power far beyond its shores. As the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ventures into less familiar waters like the Indian Ocean, Beijing has sought to deepen its understanding of the maritime operating environment by studying water conditions, currents, and the seafloor.”
Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said in February 2024: “China’s scientific research activities in relevant waters are for peaceful purposes and aimed at contributing to humanity’s scientific understanding of the ocean. The activities are in strict compliance with the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
What Happens Next
As part of its growing presence in the Indian Ocean, China has maintained a continuous naval task force deployment in the Gulf of Aden for escort missions amid piracy since 2008.