A Chinese government 'research vessel' is currently navigating waters off South Australia, closely following a route that aligns with Australia’s deep-sea submarine cables, raising concerns about potential intelligence-gathering activities.

Sky News has reported that the vessel, “Tan Suo Yi Hao,” is operating within Australia’s exclusive economic zone. While officially designated for scientific research, the ship is also suspected of having surveillance capabilities, making it a potential “spy ship.”

The vessel is capable of deploying a mini-submarine capable of reaching depths of 10,000 metres. This technology raises concerns that the ship could be mapping undersea infrastructure or demonstrating the ability to interfere with critical communication links.

After conducting a joint exploration mission with New Zealand in Wellington, instead of returning directly to China, the vessel has taken an unusual route, circling Australia’s coastline.

Tracking data shows “Tan Suo Yi Hao” has travelled through the Tasman Sea, passed through Bass Strait, and is now off South Australia’s coast. The ship’s path mirrors the route taken by a Chinese warship last month, which carried out live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.

At 94 metres long and nearly 18 metres wide, the vessel is equipped with 11 laboratories, as well as data processing and information centres. According to the China Daily, the ship “serves as a base for the submersible, deep-sea expeditions and engineering.”

Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, previously described the ship’s maiden voyage in 2016 as "a milestone for China in terms of deep-sea expeditions."

The Indian-based National Maritime Foundation has also raised concerns about China’s use of deep-sea submersibles, noting their potential for dual-use operations.

“The dual-use nature of such submersibles also needs to be kept in mind, particularly in the context of interfering with undersea fibre-optic cables, the incidents of which have witnessed a sharp increase over the last two years,” the institute has stated.

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