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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is sailing in the Arabian Sea. So is a Chinese vessel

Research ship Dayang Yihao may have been sailing near the American warship, independent military observer says in a social media post

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China’s Dayang Yihao has been surveying the Arabian Sea since December 19, according to SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group. Photo: Handout
Fan Chen
A Chinese research vessel has been operating in Middle Eastern waters close to a US aircraft carrier, according to ship-tracking data, at a time of heightened American military presence near Iran.

China’s Dayang Yihao (or “Ocean No 1”) has been surveying the Arabian Sea west of India since December 19, according to SeaLight, a maritime analysis group affiliated with Stanford University.

The ship is China’s first modern comprehensive ocean-going scientific research vessel, and is equipped with advanced ocean floor imaging systems for real-time seabed mapping. It monitors abnormal marine sounds and features satellite communication and wireless internet access.

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The vessel could have been operating near the USS Abraham Lincoln, independent military observer MenchOsint – who specialises in open-source intelligence – said in a social media post.

MenchOsint’s analysis of the Dayang Yihao’s historical track data suggests it was operating in waters near the US carrier – but the precise distance between the two is not known.

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Washington has cited Iran’s crackdown on protesters, nuclear programme and alleged threats to regional stability as reasons for the strengthened US naval presence.
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