India-Maldives row: Following extensive negotiations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday, the two nations signed 20 “key” agreements, one of which dealt with tourism cooperation, and declared the advancement of their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

As the first foreign head of state that China has hosted this year, Mr. Muizzu expressed his gratitude for the honor of making his first state visit and for proving how much both countries value the growth of their bilateral ties.

Mr. Xi emphasized that China respects the Maldives and is willing to help them find a growth path that works for their unique national circumstances. As to the official Xinhua news agency, China is also fully in favor of the Maldives maintaining its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national dignity.

It stated that Mr. Xi and Mr. Muizzu declared the growth of bilateral relations as a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

“This afternoon, the Maldivian President’s office and the Chinese Government signed twenty important agreements, and both Presidents were present during the signing ceremony,” the Maldivian President’s office stated in a post on X.

Cooperation in tourism, disaster risk reduction, the blue economy, and bolstering investment in the digital economy were among the accords struck. The Maldives will also get grant support from China, albeit the precise sum was not made public.

The agreements also included working together to expedite the creation of the Belt and Road Initiative Cooperation Plan, the social housing project on Fushidhiggaru Falhu, the processing factories for fisheries goods, and the rehabilitation of the Male and Villimale Road Development Projects.

At the Great Hall of People, Mr. Muizzu and his spouse, Sajida Mohammad, were greeted ceremoniously on the red carpet. Later, in honour of them, President Xi and his spouse Peng Liyuan gave a state banquet.

Maldives-India row

The release of a report by the EU Election Observation Mission of the Maldives, which claimed that the ruling coalition of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) used anti-India sentiments and attempted to spread disinformation in the 2023 presidential elections, which Mr. Muizzu won, marred Mr. Muizzu’s visit to China. Additionally, there is a diplomatic dispute with India over remarks made by his ministers disparaging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Since Mr. Muizzu ran for president in November of last year as a member of the PPM, which was then led by former pro-China President Abdullah Yameen, who is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption, the EU report put a shadow over the election.

President Muizzu chose to pursue his own international and internal policies after having a falling out with Yameen, a previous pro-China leader who was formerly thought of as his mentor, shortly after his victory.

China completed significant infrastructure projects during Yameen’s presidency despite claims of debt traps made by certain powerful Maldivian politicians.

Enraged by Mr. Muizzu, Mr. Yameen—who is incarcerated pending corruption charges—left the PPM and established a new political party from behind bars to challenge Mr. Muizzu.

Both parties are criticized in the EU report for instigating an anti-India campaign. The European Union monitors discovered anti-Indian sentiments in the PPM-PNC presidential campaign, stemming from apprehensions about potential Indian interference and the presence of Indian military forces in the Maldives.

 The report stated, “This theme was the target of several online disinformation campaigns.”

During his speech, President Xi stated that China is prepared to share its governance expertise with the Maldives, enhance the alignment of development plans, promote superior Belt and Road collaboration, and establish a new standard for the friendship between the two countries.

He declared that China would encourage more direct flights between the two nations and help more Maldivian students wishing to study there.

The Maldives, according to President Muizzu, vigorously upholds the one-China policy. The Maldives-China relationship can only grow steadily and soundly if both countries firmly support each other in preserving their own national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, Xinhua reported him as saying.

Due to his strained relations with India, Mr. Muizzu, who is scheduled to return home on January 12, has already been under fire from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), led by former President Solih. In Parliament, the MDP continues to hold the majority.

March also marks the anticipated Parliamentary elections, in which Mr. Muizzu will go off against the PNC and MDP.

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Mr. Muizzu’s travel to China coincides with a wave of Indian tourists—who make up the majority of visitors to the island nation dependent on tourism—canceling bookings due to the dispute with India.

Mr. Muizzu urged China to “intensify” its efforts to send more tourists to his country in response to criticism from Indian travelers.

“China was our (Maldives’) number one market (for tourism) pre-Covid, and I request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position,” he stated.

In addition to meeting with Mr. Xi, Mr. Muizzu is scheduled to meet with senior officials and Chinese Premier Li Qiang for the next two days.

In a diplomatic spat with India, he appealed for more Chinese tourists.

Three deputy ministers were suspended by Mr Muizzu’s administration due to their disparaging social media statements.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) also vehemently denounced the disparaging remarks.

China came in third, followed by Russia, while India remained the country’s biggest source of tourists in 2023, according to data previously disclosed by the Maldives Tourism Ministry.

With 209,198 arrivals, India was the country that sent the most tourists to the Maldives. Russia came in second with 209,146 arrivals, and China came in third with 187,118 arrivals.

In 2022, bilateral commerce between China and the Maldives amounted to USD 451.29 million, with $451.29 million coming from Chinese exports and $60,000 coming from Maldivian exports.

During the Maldives Investment Forum, Mr. Muizzu also asked Chinese businesses for investments in eleven other projects.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/maldives-china-sign-20-agreements-after-muizzu-xi-meeting-amid-diplomatic-row-with-india/article67728474.ece