Maldives upgrades ties with China amid pivot from India
China and the Maldives strengthened their ties on Wednesday during the inaugural state visit of the newly elected President, Mohamed Muizzu, to Beijing.
The move comes against the backdrop of President Muizzu's recent campaign, wherein he characterized India, a regional rival to China, as a threat to the Maldives' sovereignty.
During a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed Muizzu as "an old friend" and set the stage for increased investment in the Indian Ocean archipelago by formalizing a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" between the two nations, as reported by Chinese state media.
President Xi Jinping expressed that China and the Maldives are currently presented with a historic opportunity to build on their past relations and advance into the future. This development signifies a deepening of the diplomatic and economic connection between the two countries.
President Muizzu assumed office in November, championing the "India Out" campaign platform during his election, wherein he portrayed New Delhi's substantial influence as a threat to the Maldives' sovereignty. Since taking office, his government has asked numerous locally stationed Indian military personnel to depart while concurrently highlighting investment opportunities for Chinese investors, despite the Maldives being significantly indebted to Beijing.
The strategic move to elevate ties with the Maldives underscores China's intent to enhance its influence in a region where another neighboring country, Sri Lanka, has already shifted its alignment towards China.
The Maldives currently owes China a substantial amount, with 1.37 billion US dollar accounting for approximately 20% of its public debt, according to World Bank data. This debt makes China the largest bilateral creditor to the Maldives, surpassing Saudi Arabia and India, to whom the Maldives owes $124 million and $123 million, respectively.
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