Opinion: India Should Let Maldives Learn The Cost Of A Chinese Embrace

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has made it clear that he has no intention of bringing Delhi-Male ties from the edge of a precipice. In fact, he has doubled down with a rhetorical escalation after his return from China. Even as his ministers were passing derogatory remarks against the Indian Prime Minister, Muizzu, during his five-day state visit to China last week, described China one of its “closest allies and development partners” and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects as “the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history.” After coming back from China, he launched a veiled attack on India by suggesting that “we [the Maldives] may be small, but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us.” And then came the ultimatum from his government that New Delhi withdraw its military presence from the archipelago nation before March 15.

In some ways, none of this should have come as a surprise. Muizzu had campaigned on an “India Out” platform and had been a votary of strong ties with China. After taking over the Presidency of the Maldives in November last year, he had called for the withdrawal of Indian troops which are around 80 in number, primarily positioned there for humanitarian and disaster relief as well as to maintain and operate two rescue and reconnaissance helicopters and a Dornier aircraft gifted by India to the Maldives. Muizzu has tried to mobilise his domestic political base by targeting India and has found support among Islamic hardliners.

In an apparent snub to India, he decided to first visit Turkey and then China for bilateral engagements. His government decided not to renew a pact for a hydrographic survey of the Maldivian seawaters with the Indian Navy and did not participate in the Colombo Security Conclave last December, in which it is a member state along with India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.