Research?

This is coolbert:

Found this item regarding Chinese "research" in the Indian Ocean. Thanks to the TamilNews.

"Hi-tech Chinese ship spied on India using Colombo harbour"

[This as reported from only this last Friday, 2 September.]

"A hi-tech Chinese ship with 22 in-built laboratories, but disguised as a fishing trawler, has spied on India using Colombo harbour facilities and Sri Lankan territorial waters a few months ago . . . 'it had operated already for about 22 days and was positioned off-the cost of Little Anadaman - an area which is considered sensitive and crucial in the ongoing battle for supremacy over the Indian Ocean region between India and China' . . . no punitive action could be taken against the Chinese ship as it was in international waters."

"'the Chinese ship was mapping the Indian Ocean and picking up crucial Bathymetric data. Other Laboratories on board the ship were designed to collect data on the currents of the Indian Ocean, the temperature at various depths and also very crucially, underwater obstructions and obstacles,'"

This sounds more or less exactly the same as what went on during the era of the Cold War between the old Soviet Union and the United States. The ubiquitous Soviet trawler to be found in all parts of the world, a "fishing vessel" that in a flash converts to a military mission!

Oceanographic, hydrographic, bathymetric data gathering, done by vessels purportedly civilian in nature but in reality having a mission that was highly military oriented.

"Laboratories" and facilities on-board the Chinese vessel intended to make measurements of the surrounding waters with regard to UNDERWATER currents, water temperature, salinity, biologics, day/night and seasonal changes.

Data valuable to military planners those persons most concerned with naval warfare in all the various manifestations thereof.

And this is not necessarily "spying" as that term is generally, commonly, and ordinarily understood. Is TOTALLY LEGAL AS LONG AS DONE IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS! Again, during that era of the Cold War, both American and Soviet research vessels were quite active in this area, mapping of the undersea waters and terrain and the collection various data that was essential for the successful undersea warfare.

That Sinhalese government in Colombo is highly indebted to the Chinese? Prior to the final and climactic attack on the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan government had made massive military purchases on credit from China. So it is reported. As part of the debt repayment, Colombo must acquiesce to Chinese requests and demands? And using the harbor at Colombo as a staging point for Chinese vessels is one of those "requests"?

Too, the Chinese do have a long-term Indian Ocean strategy in place, have had for some and are following up on their grand scheme in "steps". "String of Pearls" is what it is called. The Chinese moving into the Indian Ocean and toward Africa as was done in the long-ago now days of Admiral Zheng and the "Treasure Fleet"

coolbert.