Negotiations are on-going between China and the Maldives to place monitoring equipment on fish aggregating devices (FADs) anchored in the Indian Ocean with a view to retrieving chemical and physical information from the ocean besides following the movements of fish, says a Friday report.
The development follows the controversial visit of a Chinese research vessel, Xiang Yang Hong 03, which remained in Maldivian waters for about a month starting in January 2024, a move that raised concerns in India.
As per the news website RaajjeMV, Maldivian Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam recently received senior officials of China's Second Institute of Oceanography to address bilateral cooperation. Following the meeting, the Maldivian Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources issued a statement on social media site X that bilateral cooperation was the topic of discussions during which improving ties between the two nations in ocean research were emphasized.
Apart from the ministries of fisheries, officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Maldives Meteorology Department also met with the Chinese side.
Though the Maldives government did not issue any public statement on the meetings, RaajjeMV referenced an informed source stating that China has made an offer to place monitoring devices on FADs in Maldivian waters for research purposes.
"Although the government has not disclosed details regarding these devices, it is known that they will gather chemical and physical oceanic information as well as fish movement patterns," the report said.
China is now said to be collaborating with Maldivian meteorological authorities in order to acquire the necessary permits for the project.
Ongoing Marine Research Agreements
The report also mentioned a second agreement inked on February 19, 2025, between the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency and the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography for marine research but with no disclosed details.
The visit of Xiang Yang Hong 03, which is China's most sophisticated research ship, has highlighted the increasing Sino-Maldivian maritime cooperation. The ship set sail for the Maldives on January 14, 2025, a day after President Mohamed Muizzu ended his state visit to China.
The vessel initially arrived in Maldivian waters on January 29 and berthed at Male on February 22. It then again entered the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) before berthing at Thilafushi harbor on April 25.
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry earlier said that Xiang Yang Hong 03 was in Maldivian waters for restocking provisions and crew rotation.
Strategic Concerns in the Indian Ocean
The Maldives is strategically important because it is close to India, just 70 nautical miles from Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from India's west coast. The nation is at a critical chokepoint in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), where major commercial shipping routes transit.
India has watched closely as China's maritime activity in the area has been intensifying, given that Beijing's growing presence in the Indian Ocean is of geopolitical and security concern.
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