Indian authorities proposed to their Chinese counterparts
facilitating a crew change at sea for the crew members stranded aboard the
vessels anchored for months off the Chinese coast. Responding to media
questions in a written statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said
that the cases of the bulk carriers Jag Anand and Anastasia, along with the
other vessels waiting off the China coast, “are being pursued vigorously.”
The Indian ministry in its response said, “We have noted the
statements of the Chinese side, expressing their willingness to extend their
assistance in this matter. We expect that this assistance will be provided in
an urgent, practical and time-bound manner, given the grave humanitarian
situation that is developing on board the ships.”
In the latest proposal to resolve the stalemate, the Indian
Ministry says that it understands the Anastasia is exploring the possibility of
a crew change at sea at its current point of anchorage in Caofeidian. The
Indian Embassy sent a letter on December 31 to the Chinese authorities
supporting the proposal and requesting that it be approved.
The bulk carrier the Jag Anand of Great Eastern Shipping
Company has been anchored near the Chinese port of Jingtang since June 13,
2020, with a crew of 23 Indian nationals. Similarly, the Anastasia, which has
16 Indian nationals as its crew, has been anchored near the Chinese port of
Caofeidian since September 20, 2020. Both vessels, along with estimates of up
to 20 or more other ships, have all been waiting to discharge cargos of
Australian coal.
China, for its part, denies reports that the ships are being
held offshore in a trade dispute with Australia. The Indian ministry says that
the Chinese authorities have conveyed to them that on account of various
COVID-19 related restrictions imposed by the local authorities, crew changes
are not being permitted from these ports. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs suggested that the ships are free to depart their anchorages, but the
ships' operators fear leaving the anchorage for a crew change they would not be
permitted to return to the ports preferring instead to wait out the trade
dispute to deliver their cargo.
The Indian authorities said that their Embassy in Beijing
has repeatedly raised the situation with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and also the provincial authorities, requesting that the ships be
allowed to dock or a crew change be permitted. The Indian Ambassador has taken
up this issue with Vice Foreign Minister, the statement said, while the
ministry has also been following this issue with the Chinese Embassy in India.
The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) attempted to
bring world attention to the plight of the seafarers in November calling for a
global email campaign to the International Maritime Organization. Other
organizations, including the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF),
have also responded, calling for action to address the crew welfare with some
seafarers on the ships for 20 months or more.
MSC Shipping as the technical operator of the Anastasia says
it attempted crew changes in Hong Kong in June and August that were blocked by
COVID restrictions. Japan approved a crew change in August, but it was not
implemented according to MSC, followed by efforts to organize a crew change in
Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Busan, all of which were also refused. MSC
said that it had been suggested that the ship sail to Japan, where a crew
change might be permitted while the Chinese authorities suggested the ships
might apply to the Tianjin port in China where the local authorities would
examine the requests once they were received. All of these options require the
vessels, however, to leave their current ports and lose their place in line to
offload their cargo.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs says that they are
continuing to be in close and continuous contact with the Chinese authorities
in Beijing, Hebei, and Tianjin. They are calling for an early resolution and
promised to provide updates on further developments.