China said on Friday there was no link between the situation of Indian sailors on two freighters carrying Australian coal stranded in Chinese ports and the current state of relations between the countries.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the two ships were stuck in ports due to quarantine measures in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Up to 39 Indian seafarers on two cargo ships, MV Jag Anand and MV Anastasia, have been stranded in waters off the Chinese ports of Jingtang and Caofeidian in the northern province of Hebei for several months.
The ships have not been allowed to unload their cargo and neither have the crew been allowed to disembark, affecting their mental and physical health, according to reports.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had questioned the Chinese authorities’ decision not to allow the ships to leave the ports.
“We understand that some other ships, which arrived after the arrival of the Indian ships, have managed to unload cargo and leave. The reasons for this are not clear, ”Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava told a news conference.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded on Friday to a question about whether the ships and their crews were stuck due to ties currently involving China, India and Australia over military and trade disputes.
“We repeatedly state that China has clear stipulations on quarantine measures. Regarding this, China has kept in close communication with the Indian side and [has been] responding to their requests and providing necessary assistance, “Wang said at a ministry briefing on Friday.
“From what I understand, China allows the crew to change while certain quarantine conditions are met,” he said.
“But this port of Jingtang (where the Jag Anand ship is stranded) is not on the crew change list… As for whether this has anything to do with bilateral relations, I don’t see any link,” Wang said.
There are 23 Indian crew members on the MV Jag Anand bulk cargo ship, anchored near Jingtang port in Hebei province since June 13. Another 16 Indian crew members were on the MV Anastasia, anchored near the Caofeidian port since 20 September. waiting to unload cargo.
An ANI report in November had said that the 23 Indian crew members on board were seeking help from the Indian government to return home, with some suffering from health problems and the ship running out of medicine, according to the report.
“Our embassy in Beijing has been in constant contact with the provincial and central government authorities in China, requesting that ships be allowed to dock and / or that the crew be allowed to change,” Srivastava said Thursday.
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