Tensions Rise in the Bay of Bengal as Chinese Research Vessel Nears Indian Missile Tests

Defense News ,India :- In the Bay of Bengal, things are getting tense as another Chinese research ship, the Xiang Yang Hong 01, has entered the area right before India is set to test missiles.

This has raised concerns because India is getting ready to test two nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The Xiang Yang Hong 01 is the second Chinese research vessel spotted in the region recently.

India plans to test the K4 missile from a submarine and the Agni-V missile on land between March 11th and 16th. The exact date might change, but it's happening around the same time the Chinese vessel is there.

According to Marine Traffic, a service that tracks maritime activity, the Xiang Yang Hong 01 left the Chinese port of Qingdao on February 23rd, 2024. Damien Symon, an expert on open-source intelligence, first noticed the vessel's presence in the Bay of Bengal and shared it on social media.

This situation adds more complexity to the relationship between India and China in the Indo-Pacific region, where they have a historically uneasy relationship.

The fact that Chinese research vessels are close to India's planned missile tests raises questions about possible intelligence gathering. It also highlights the strategic competition between the two countries.