One day after returning from China, where he inked a number of deals, the president of the Maldives gave India instructions on Sunday to remove its almost 100 troops by March 15.
Although New Delhi still views the Indian Ocean archipelago as falling under its purview, it has moved closer to China, the Maldives’ biggest external creditor.
According to a senior assistant to President Mohamed Muizzu, the deadline of March was established after discussions with Indian officials on Sunday in the Maldives, honoring the leader’s long-standing electoral vow.
Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary for Muizzu, told reporters, “The president put forth this request at the meeting of the high-level committee between the two nations… the proposal is currently under consideration.”
September saw Muizzu take office on his promise to drive out Indian forces.
The president declared on Saturday that despite the Maldives’ modest size, the nation will not be intimidated when arriving in Male, the capital.
We are not a nation that exists in another nation’s backyard. We are a sovereign nation,” declared Muizzu.
He stated in the country’s Dhivehi language, “This territorial integrity policy is one that China respects,” according to the Mihaaru newspaper.
In September, with Beijing and New Delhi jockeying for position, Muizzu won election on the platform of building “strong ties” with China.
“We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us,” Muizzu remarked, in a last comment in English.
He has denied attempting to shift the balance of power in the region by substituting Chinese troops for Indian ones.
This week’s journey to China was Muizzu’s first state visit as president.
“Infrastructure construction, medical care and health care, improvement of people’s livelihoods, new energy sources, agriculture and marine environmental protection” were among the deals mentioned, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Three of Muizzu’s junior ministers are accused of calling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist” and a “clown” in since-deleted social media posts earlier this month, which heightened tensions with New Delhi.
In response, Bollywood stars and some of the greatest cricket players in India called on their fellow citizens to boycott their southern neighbor and plan their upcoming vacations closer to home.
The Maldives’ economy is mostly based on tourism, with Indians making up the majority of foreign visitors.
According to Muizzu, the Maldives will reduce their need on India for medical care and medicine, opening up additional nations for its inhabitants who require government-funded overseas medical care.
Presently, the majority of qualified residents receive treatment in India; a minor number also receive it in Thailand and Sri Lanka, according to officials.
