China has listed the specific locations to be visited regularly by its ocean research vessels, including disputed areas of the South China Sea. Intentions are quite unclear about why China wants a rhythmic survey of the eastern Indian Ocean.
A recent article from Hong Kong-based news website South China Morning Post (SCMP) references the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) report on the announcement of fixed naval spots for marine surveys.
As per the report, China has, for the first time, announced 33 fixed reference sections to be surveyed by its ocean research vessels, which engulf significant regions in the South China Sea (SCS), Taiwan Strait, the western Pacific along with the eastern part of the Indian Ocean.
China has over 60 ships with a specified purpose of ‘ocean survey’ in its arsenal presently, and that is one of the largest in the world.
