‘Lack of confidence among Indian politicians’: China on India-Maldives row
Chinese Communist Party’s flagship newspaper has launched a scathing attack against India amid tension between New Delhi and Malé.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu who has gone to China on an official visit, the Chinese tabloid Global Times said that India has misinterpreted his visit by arguing that the Maldivian leader is pursuing an “India-out” policy and leaning toward China.
Citing Chinese analysts, the Chinese media said India’s misinterpretations of Muizzu’s China visit, “reflect the lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians”.
Notably, some news reports suggest that Muizzu’s visit to China broke the “tradition” of every Maldivian president choosing India as their first destination after assuming office in 2008.
The Chinese media outlet added that analysts believe, “India’s long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia is the root cause of strained relations with some regional countries, including the Maldives, and that India should not shift the blame onto China by hyping the narrative of competition with China in the region as an excuse”.
According to the Chinese newspaper, Muizzu arrived in Xiamen, China’s Fujian Province on an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
An expert told a Chinese tabloid newspaper that Muizzu is not choosing sides between China and India, and China does not require him to do so. Instead, he is putting the interests of his own country first.
“India is a significant country to the Maldives whether it is from the geographic or historical factor, and its current nervousness about President Muizzu’s visit to China unveils its lack of confidence,” Global Times quoted an expert.
During Muizzu’s stay in China, the two sides are expected to sign a slew of cooperation documents on infrastructure construction under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), economy, climate change, green economy, and tourism, analysts said.
China and Maldives are also highly expected to further dig up the potential of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
Both India and China have invested heavily in upgrading the Maldives’ infrastructure and extending loans to its government.
However, this week, relations between Maldives and India hit rock bottom after a Maldivian minister posted on the social media platform X about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, calling him a “clown” and a “puppet of Israel.”
The deputy minister and two other government officials were suspended on Sunday for their social media posts.
Lakshadweep is an Indian archipelago of 36 islands that lies north of the Maldives. PM Modi urged Indians to explore the Indian Union territory and boost tourism. Notably, Indians are the biggest group of visitors to the Maldives.
