(TibetanReview.net, Jan12’24) – Apparently targeting India, China has said Jan 11 that it “firmly opposes external interference” in the internal affairs of the Maldives and supports the Indian Ocean island nation in upholding its sovereignty and independence as the latter’s newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu concluded his maiden visit to Beijing.
“The two sides agree to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their respective core interests,” the PTI news agency Jan 11 cited a joint statement issued at the end of Muizzu’s talks with Chinese leaders as saying.
“China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives’ exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives,” the statement was quoted as saying.
The significance of the statement lies in the fact that Muizzu, a pro-Beijing leader, has been involved in a diplomatic row with India over derogatory statements made by three of his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, leading to a spate of cancellation of reservations of Indian tourists to Maldives.
Muizzu, who arrived in China on Jan 8 and concludes his visit on Jan 12, suspended the ministers with a warning not to make such remarks.
Muizzu was elected in September as a proxy for a pro-China predecessor jailed on corruption charges, vowing to cultivate “strong ties” with Beijing. He defeated the governing party leader who was seen as pro-India.
Muizzu has offered the pledge of allegiance Beijing exacts from all countries that seek close ties with it, saying Maldives is “firmly committed to the one-China principle, recognising that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”
Twenty agreements, including an Action Plan for Building a China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2024-2028), were signed between the two countries on Jan 10 after talks between Muizzu and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The agreements also included cooperation in tourism to increase Chinese tourists to the island nation. Chinese tourists visiting Maldives currently constitute the third highest number after Indian (at over 200,000 per year) and Russian tourists in that order, the report noted.
The report said Muizzu’s visit was marred by diplomatic row with India and the release of a report by the EU Election Observation Mission of Maldives that said the ruling coalition of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) deployed anti-India sentiments and attempted to spread disinformation in the 2023 presidential elections in which Muizzu won.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the main opposition, currently has a majority in the Maldivian parliament and is expected to put up a strong fight in the country’s parliamentary polls to be held on Mar 17.