Maldives is increasing military cooperation with China, even as India has withdrawn its forces at the behest of the island nation. In the most recent turn of events the Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, Wang Lixin met the nation’s defence minister Ghassan Maumoon. The duo discussed measures to strengthen military ties plus joint security concerns of both Maldives and China. Maldivian President Muizzu had also during his visit to China in March this year agreed to sign a defence agreement. As per that agreement, Beijing is supposed to supply military equipment and train Maldivian troops. Muizzu has been known for his pro-China stance and had driven his election campaign on a anti-India plank.
Both nations have drawn a roadmap of ‘China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership’. Maldives is important for China as a its oil imports flow either through or from just north of the Maldivian island chain. Having a friendly government in Male helps China. Beijing has invested heavily in the Maldives infrastructure sector, mostly via loans and is Male’s largest international lender having loaned $1.4 billion to the island nation. This year itself China is said to have given $127 million to Maldives for a housing project. India too has given the Maldives $100 million line of credit in 2022 and a $500 million loan in 2021 under the Neighborhood First policy.
President Muizzu, who promised to keep ‘India Out’ asked India to remove uniformed military personnel from the island and to replace them with civilian personnel. India has replaced 78 military personnel with civilian employees of the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL). These employees will maintain the two Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv and the Dornier- 228 aircraft gifted to the Maldives by India. The three aircraft are supposed to patrol the island nation’s 9,00,000 lakh square km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and help in aeromedical evacuation. Maldivian forces did not have pilots to crew the aircraft when the Indian forces were repatriated.
Dhruv Yadav
