Amidst weakening ties with India, Maldives and China signed new military agreement

The evolving situation in the Maldives includes the replacement of Indian military personnel with a civilian team to operate advanced light helicopters.

Digital Desk: In a notable geopolitical shift, the Maldives has sealed a free military assistance deal with China, marking a significant move away from its longstanding ties with India. This agreement, signed on March 5, highlights strengthening bilateral relations between the Maldives and China. 

The pact, facilitating free military assistance to the island nation, comes in the wake of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's recent request to withdraw Indian military personnel stationed in the country.

The Defence Minister of the Maldives, Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, engaged in discussions with Major General Zhang Baoqun, Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China, culminating in signing the defence cooperation agreement. The details of this agreement remain undisclosed.

China demonstrated its goodwill by gifting 12 eco-friendly ambulances to the Maldives, as reported by the Edition.mv news portal. This gesture complements the broader efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties.

The Chinese military delegation's visit coincided with the approval for the hi-tech Chinese research ship, Xiang Yang Hong 03, to make a port call in the Maldives for personnel rotation and replenishment. This move follows Sri Lanka's decision to deny entry to the same ship amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels collecting data in the Indian Ocean Region for military purposes.

The evolving situation in the Maldives includes the replacement of Indian military personnel with a civilian team to operate advanced light helicopters. This move, confirmed by India, has strained relations between the two countries. President Muizzu, perceived as pro-China, set a March 10 deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel, a decision that has caused diplomatic ripples.

This geopolitical realignment is significant given the historical ties between India and the Maldives. The Maldives, situated in the Indian Ocean Region, holds strategic importance for India, and the recent developments signal a reevaluation of alliances in the region.