Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu to visit China next week

After a falling out with his mentor Abdullah Yameen, who guided Male close to Beijing, newly elected Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu, will make his maiden trip to China next week. This visit is likely to spark speculation about the likely direction of his government’s foreign policy over the next five years. At President Xi Jinping’s invitation, Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed will visit China from January 8 to 12, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday. Widely regarded as a pro-China politician, Muizzu took office as the eighth President of the Maldives on September 8, having defeated incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was friendly with India. Surprisingly, Muizzu’s first foreign trip destination after winning the election was Turkiye. Then, on December 1, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the UAE on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) and they talked about the development of their extensive bilateral ties. Both leaders decided to form a core group to talk about the multifaceted relationships and strengthen bonds during the meeting. Following Muizzu’s request for New Delhi to remove 77 Indian military personnel from the Maldives and his decision to examine over 100 bilateral agreements between the two nations, the meeting was held. Surprisingly, Muizzu’s first foreign trip destination after winning the election was Turkiye. Then, on December 1, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the UAE on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) and they talked about the development of their extensive bilateral ties. Both leaders decided to form a core group to talk about the multifaceted relationships and strengthen bonds during the meeting. Following Muizzu’s request for New Delhi to remove 77 Indian military personnel from the Maldives and his decision to examine over 100 bilateral agreements between the two nations, the meeting was held. The government of Muizzu had earlier declared its intention to cancel an agreement with India on hydrographic surveys. The second-highest ranking politician to visit China in recent weeks will be Muizzu. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, the newly appointed vice president of the Maldives, traveled to China last month for the first time and participated in the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation (CIORF), which was organized by China, in Kunming. In order to foster development among the ocean communities in the region, he stated during the meeting that cooperation in the Indian Ocean must involve all of the participating nations and refrain from factionalism. Muizzu chose to pursue his own diplomatic and domestic policies after having a falling out with former pro-China President Yameen, who was formerly seen as his mentor, shortly after his election. China completed significant infrastructure projects during Yameen’s presidency despite claims of debt traps made by a few powerful Maldivian politicians.   Enraged by Muizzu, Yameen—who is presently incarcerated for corruption—left the People’s National Front (PNC), the leading Progressive Party of the Maldives, and created his own political organization from prison in order to challenge Muizzu.   In the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Maldives is India’s principal maritime neighbor and plays a unique role in programs like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Modi government’s Neighbourhood First Policy. The Maldives are strategically important due to their close proximity to India—just 70 nautical miles separates them from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles separates them from the western coast of the mainland—and their strategic placement at the intersection of commercial sea lanes that traverse the Indian Ocean.