Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu took an oblique jibe at India amid the continued diplomatic tensions with New Delhi. In a press convention following his five-day go to to China, Mohamed Muizzu stated, “We could also be small however this does not give them the license to bully us.”
The assertion comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Maldives after politicians from the island nation made derogatory remarks in opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current go to to Lakshadweep after which three ministers have been suspended from their posts on January 7.
This comes as China stated that it “firmly opposes exterior interference” within the inner affairs of the Maldives and helps the island nation’s sovereignty and independence.
“The two sides comply with proceed firmly supporting one another in safeguarding their respective core pursuits,” a joint assertion by China advert Maldives stated, including, “China firmly helps the Maldives in upholding its nationwide sovereignty, independence and nationwide dignity, respects and helps the Maldives’ exploration of a growth path that fits its nationwide situations, and firmly opposes exterior interference within the inner affairs of the Maldives.”
In China, the Maldives president appealed to Beijing to “intensify” efforts to ship extra vacationers to the island nation.
“China was our (Maldives’) primary market pre-Covid, and it’s my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this place,” he stated.
China and Maldives signed 20 agreements which embrace cooperation in tourism to extend Chinese vacationers to the island nation. The two sides additionally signed the Action Plan for Building a China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2028-2024) and inked paperwork on cooperation in areas such because the Belt and Road, the joint assertion stated.
“Since the institution of diplomatic ties 52 years in the past, the 2 nations have all the time revered and supported one another,” it stated.
