Chinese Are At It Again: Deploy Three Spy Vessels In Indian Ocean To Gather Vital Intelligence

The Chinese are at it once again. Three of their spy ships are operating in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to gather crucial data that could, in the future, allow more Chinese submarine activity in the region.

Satellite tracks shared by X (formerly Twitter) user Damien Symons show that three Chinese vessels — Xiang Yang Hong 03, Zhong Shan Da Xue, and Ying Wang 7 — are operating in the Indian Ocean.

Indian Navy is monitoring these vessels.

China has been regularly sending these vessels to the Indian coastline and economic exclusive zones (EEZ) of its neighbouring countries, like the Maldives and Sri Lanka, in the IOR.

In fact, since the change of guard in the Maldives and anti-India Mohammed Muizzu coming to power late last year, Xiang Yang Hong 03 has been allowed to dock in the Maldives twice this year — on 22 February and 25 April.

Reportedly, Xiang Yang Hong 03 spent approximately three months surveilling the waters inside the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).

Sri Lanka, too, has previously allowed these spy vessels to dock at several locations. However, this time it banned Chinese ships from docking in Sri Lanka for a year, a ban which has been lifted for 2025.

China claims these vessels are for civilian research, but experts say they actually gather crucial data for mapping ocean floors and various patterns.

This data includes bathymetry, salinity of the water at varied depths, and ocean currents to identify suitable spots and locations. From these locations, submarines can hide and operate for long periods, evading enemy counter-submarine surveillance.