An agreement signed between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology on Monday has opened the doors for China to gather intelligence on the Maldivian waters.

Three separate sources who read through the agreement after it was signed by the Maldives government spoke to Adhadhu and expressed concern over the freedoms given to China under the deal.

"Under this agreement, China is installing devices in the ocean. The devices can collect a lot of information. In return, they will conduct some training for the Maldives government," a person familiar with the agreement said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

On Monday, the government announced that an agreement had been signed to strengthen cooperation in the field of technology. It was signed by Tourism and Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim. But no further details were provided.

All three sources told Adhadhu that the agreement with the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology allows China to measure wind, ocean current, sound, salinity and temperature. The devices will be installed on the ocean floor and the ocean surface.

The most concerning matter under the agreement is the possibility of recording and monitoring sonar signals. The agreement allows China to observe and monitor the sounds of living and non-living things. The devices can detect vessels on the ocean surface and submarines under the sea. It can also detect aircraft and its altitude.

Any data obtained under this agreement can be transferred to a third party only by mutual agreement between the Maldives and China. This means information collected by the Maldives under this agreement cannot be passed on to third parties without China's consent.

The South China Sea Institute of Oceanology is one of the largest marine research institutes in China and has designed and built research vessels. ell.

An expert on Maldives and regional security told Adhadhu that China's objective could be to spy on regional foes with the help of allies.

"One of the biggest allegations against China is using their technology to spy on other countries. Giving China that opportunity in Maldives would be a big problem," the expert spoke on condition of anonymity.

The expert predicts that Maldives will face problems with India and other regional countries as a result of the agreement.

"This will be a huge issue in regional politics. This is not something Maldives should do, it is not something we should get involved in," the expert added, noting that China's biggest rival in the region, India, would not take this issue lightly.

Early last year, China’s most powerful research vessel operated within and around the Maldivian territory for about one month. The vessel also anchored near Thilafushi industrial island.

Despite signing a questionable agreement with China, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu previously expressed concern over allowing other countries to gather information about Maldivian waters.

"It is not in the best interest of the Maldivian people when another state explores and maps the Maldivian territorial waters. It is the right of the Maldivian people to find out about the resources of the Maldives' ocean. It is our national responsibility. For this reason, when the hydrography agreement with India ended recently, we informed the Indian government that we do not wish to continue that agreement," he declared on December 16, 2023.

Muizzu had also claimed that his policy would be to avoid getting in between regional rivalries.

"Maldives is still too small to get involved in such a global power struggle [India-China rivalry] and our government will not get involved in such things,” he said in October 2023.