NEW DELHI: Amid India-Maldives row, “Beijing has never asked Malé to reject New Delhi because of the conflicts between China and India, nor does it view cooperation between the Maldives and India as unfriendly or a threat,” said Global Times in its editorial piece.
“It (China) is also willing to carry out trilateral cooperation between China, India and the Maldives.New Delhi should stay more open-minded, as China’s cooperation with South Asian countries is not a zero-sum game,” it said.
Referring to the dispute between New Delhi and Male, China’s state media addressed the situation in an editorial as Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and finalize bilateral agreements.
While the Maldives government distanced itself from three ministers’ “insulting” comments regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, leading to their suspension, China advocated for an “open-minded” perspective on South Asian issues.
Referring to Maldives President Muizzu’s visit to China the editorial said, the extensive coverage by Indian media of Muizzu’s visit to China has highlighted speculations, emerging before the official announcement of the trip, that the president might prioritize China over India, suggesting a perceived importance hierarchy.
This underscores India’s perception of South Asia as its sphere of influence, emphasizing the expectation that regional countries, including the Maldives, should prioritize India in their diplomatic ties. Rather than indicating a stance of being “pro-China and anti-India,” Muizzu’s decision to visit China first is portrayed as a move towards maintaining a normal state-to-state relationship with India, treating diplomatic relations with both nations in a balanced manner.
Muizzu’s predecessors typically prioritized visits to India first, given the extensive bilateral ties and the geographical proximity of the Maldives to India. Subsequently, visits to China followed, reflecting the expanded influence of China in the island nation through substantial investments in significant infrastructure projects.
“Under normal circumstances, when a new leader comes to power, they arrange their visits based on the importance and urgency of the matters to be dealt with. President Muizzu broke tradition by visiting Turkey for his first official overseas visit instead of India,” Global Times said.
Accompanied by his wife Sajidha Mohamed, Muizzu visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone in China’s Fujian province today, as reported by PTI. Representatives from the Xiamen Free Trade Zone provided an introductory video during the visit.
According to the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, Mr Muizzu is scheduled to engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and finalize multiple agreements.
“The relations between China and the Maldives now stand at a new historical starting point. We believe that through this visit, the two heads of state will provide strategic guidance for the bilateral relations to reach a new height,” Wang told the media on January 5.
“It (China) is also willing to carry out trilateral cooperation between China, India and the Maldives.New Delhi should stay more open-minded, as China’s cooperation with South Asian countries is not a zero-sum game,” it said.
Referring to the dispute between New Delhi and Male, China’s state media addressed the situation in an editorial as Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and finalize bilateral agreements.
While the Maldives government distanced itself from three ministers’ “insulting” comments regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, leading to their suspension, China advocated for an “open-minded” perspective on South Asian issues.
Referring to Maldives President Muizzu’s visit to China the editorial said, the extensive coverage by Indian media of Muizzu’s visit to China has highlighted speculations, emerging before the official announcement of the trip, that the president might prioritize China over India, suggesting a perceived importance hierarchy.
This underscores India’s perception of South Asia as its sphere of influence, emphasizing the expectation that regional countries, including the Maldives, should prioritize India in their diplomatic ties. Rather than indicating a stance of being “pro-China and anti-India,” Muizzu’s decision to visit China first is portrayed as a move towards maintaining a normal state-to-state relationship with India, treating diplomatic relations with both nations in a balanced manner.
Muizzu’s predecessors typically prioritized visits to India first, given the extensive bilateral ties and the geographical proximity of the Maldives to India. Subsequently, visits to China followed, reflecting the expanded influence of China in the island nation through substantial investments in significant infrastructure projects.
“Under normal circumstances, when a new leader comes to power, they arrange their visits based on the importance and urgency of the matters to be dealt with. President Muizzu broke tradition by visiting Turkey for his first official overseas visit instead of India,” Global Times said.
Accompanied by his wife Sajidha Mohamed, Muizzu visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone in China’s Fujian province today, as reported by PTI. Representatives from the Xiamen Free Trade Zone provided an introductory video during the visit.
According to the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, Mr Muizzu is scheduled to engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and finalize multiple agreements.
“The relations between China and the Maldives now stand at a new historical starting point. We believe that through this visit, the two heads of state will provide strategic guidance for the bilateral relations to reach a new height,” Wang told the media on January 5.
