China's comprehensive research and survey vessel, the Xiang Yang Hong 03, is expected to make a port call in Malé, Maldives, sometime soon. The vessel's dual-use capabilities, and the potential of the research collected to be used for military purposes by China, have sparked concerns in India and other littoral states in the IOR. In this episode, Amit Kumar and Anushka Saxena discuss details of the Xiang Yang Hong's military potential, with the larger geopolitical context of the India-China-Maldives relations in mind.