Chinese spy ship re-enters Indian Ocean region ahead of India missile test plan

New Delhi, Dec 7: In yet another attempt to enter Indian waters, the Chinese spy ship 'Yuan Wang 5' has entered the Indian Ocean Region. This comes ahead of a plan by India for a likely test firing of a long-range ballistic missile in the Bay of Bengal.

 

The Chinese spy ship is known to be fitted with various tracking and surveillance devices. It is learnt that the Indian Navy is keeping an eye on the movement of the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship.

 

Open-source intelligence expert Damien Symon on Monday tweeted that "Yuan Wang 5, #China's missile and satellite tracking vessel has entered the #IndianOcean region."

 

 

However, there is no official comment on the reports of the presence of the spy ship in the Indian Ocean Region. As per laid down protocol, India recently issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen/Notice to Air Missions) about a missile test. It is also not clear whether India will go ahead with the plan for the missile test in view of the presence of the Chinese spy ship.

 

 

Yuan Wang 5, which docked at Hambantota in August this year, causing much diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka, was last spotted in the region in November, along with another Chinese spy ship named Yuan Wang 6. According to MarineTraffic, a website that provides information on the movement of ships, the last reported location of the Chinese spy ship in the Indian Ocean was near the Indonesian island of Bali.

 

The visit of the Chinese ship to the Indian Ocean comes amid increasing concerns over growing forays into the region by Chinese military and research vessels. India is bolstering defence and security ties in the Indian Ocean with like-minded countries in the backdrop of concerns over China's growing forays into the region, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy.