China said on Friday there is no “link” between the situation of the Indian crew on two ships stranded in Chinese ports and its strained relations with India and Australia.
The Foreign Ministry said in New Delhi on Thursday that two freighters with a total of 39 Indians on board have been anchored in Chinese waters as they were not allowed to unload their cargo, although some other ships have succeeded.
“There is a considerable amount of stress on the crew members due to this unprecedented situation,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava.
Srivastava said the MV Jag Anand bulk cargo ship has been anchored near the Jingtang port in China’s Hebei province since June 13 and has 23 Indian sailors.
Another vessel, MV Anastasia, with 16 Indian nationals as crew, has been anchored near the Caofeidian port in China since September 20, awaiting the unloading of its cargo, he said at a press conference.
“Our Embassy in Beijing has been in constant contact with the authorities of the provincial and central government in China, requesting that the ships be allowed to dock and / or that the crew be allowed to change,” he said.
When asked about India’s concern regarding the Indian crew members of the ships and whether China’s decision on this issue has been related to the current situation between India, China and Australia, the Ministry spokesman Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin told a news conference on Friday, “We repeatedly state that China has clear stipulations on quarantine measures.”
“In this regard, China has been in close communication with the Indian side and has responded to their requests, as well as providing the necessary assistance,” he said.
“From what I understand, China allows crew changes in compliance with certain quarantine conditions. But this Jingtang port is not on the list for such crew changes, ”he said.
Wang, however, did not refer to the 16 crew from the Caofeidian port.
“For more details, you can consult the competent and local authorities,” he said.
“As for whether this has to do with bilateral relations, I don’t see any link,” he added.
Relations between India and China were under strain from the ongoing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh.
Ties between Australia and China in recent months plummeted after Canberra excluded Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies from its national 5G network over national security concerns.
China also resented Canberra’s push for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus in April. Reports from Australia say that China has been restricting a number of Australian exports, including coal.
Last month, China blamed the freight forwarder for Jag Anand’s ship for the stalling, saying it will not let the ship go.
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