China wishy-washy on when ship with 16 Indian crew will unload; injects bureaucratic delay

The fate of 16 Indian sailors of a cargo ship stranded outside a Chinese port for six months remained uncertain on Monday as China did not say when their ordeal would end. The ship 'MV Anastasia' has been on anchorage near Caofeidian port in northern China since September 20, waiting to discharge its cargo. The ship is carrying Australian coal.

This is the second Indian ship to suffer such a fate. Earlier, another ship 'Jag Anand' with 23 Indian sailors, after a six-month-long wait to unload its Australian coal cargo had to travel to a Japanese port to change the stranded crew following refusal by Chinese officials citing COVID-19 protocols.

'Replying timely' to Indian side's request: China

Asked how long China would take to permit the ship to unload the cargo and complaints of the crew members not getting medical aid in time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing that, "the relevant Chinese authorities have been in close communication with the Indian side, responding in a timely manner to their appeals and putting forward practical suggestions for a crew change."

"We have provided the necessary convenience and assistance while adhering to epidemic prevention rules. As to whether the ship charterer is willing to adjust the shipping arrangement, it is the charterer's decision to make," he added. It is not clear why China is delaying permission for the ships to unload cargo.  

In December last year, Wang denied that there was any link between the situation of Indian crew on two stranded ships at Chinese ports and its strained relations with India and Australia, PTI reported. 

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Relations between Australia and China in the past few months nose-dived after Canberra barred Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies from its national 5G network over national security concerns. China also resented Canberra's push for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus in April. Reports from Australia say China has been restricting a number of Australian exports, including coal.

Meanwhile, 'Jag Anand' which changed its crew at a Japanese port reportedly returned to join the queue to unload its cargo at Jingtang port. The shipping company reportedly spent over USD one million to arrange crew change through Japan. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Indian Embassy in Beijing continued to remain in close and continuous touch with the Chinese authorities in Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin.

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(With agency inputs)