China Offers Free Military Aid To Maldives Amid Indian Troop Withdrawal (image-X/MoDmv)
On Monday, China signed a defense cooperation agreement with the Maldives, offering free military aid to strengthen bilateral ties. This comes just weeks after President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline for the withdrawal of the first contingent of Indian military personnel from his island nation.
The agreement, sealed between Major General Zhang Baoqun, Deputy Director of China’s Office for International Military Cooperation, and Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, the Maldives’ Minister of Defense, was concerned with China’s provision of free military assistance to the island nation. The Maldivian defense ministry confirmed the pact on his X (formerly known as Twitter) handle.
While the specific details of the defense agreement remain undisclosed, reports indicate that China has also provided the Maldives with twelve eco-friendly ambulances.
The Chinese gesture comes amidst strategic maneuvers in the region, including the recent docking of the high-tech Chinese research ship Xiang Yang Hong 03 for a port call in the Maldives. This move follows Sri Lanka’s declaration on January 5 of a one-year ban on foreign research ships entering its waters, prompted by concerns raised by India over Chinese vessels gathering data in the Indian Ocean Region for military purposes.
Defending the port call by the Chinese ship, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “China”s scientific research activities in relevant waters are for peaceful purposes and aimed at contributing to humanity”s scientific understanding of the ocean,” as quoted in a NDTV report.
Parallelly, India has begun the process of withdrawing its military personnel from the Maldives, with President Muizzu setting March 10 as the deadline for the initial troop departure. The move signifies a shift in the Maldives’ foreign policy under Muizzu’s administration, which has been perceived as more aligned with China than its predecessor.
The replacement of Indian military personnel by civilian technical experts marks a significant transition in the Maldives’ security landscape, with India committed to completing the withdrawal in two phases by May 10.
As per the Maldivian government, 88 Indian military personnel are currently in the island nation, primarily to operate two helicopters and an aircraft that have undertaken hundreds of medical evacuations and humanitarian missions.
During a weekly briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel who were operating this platform.”
Since President Muizzu came to power in November, the relationship between India and the Maldives has been strained. He had promised to remove all Indian military personnel from his country after becoming president. The current government has also said that it was reviewing over 100 bilateral agreements signed with India in the past.
As China expands its footprint in the Maldives, the strategic implications for regional dynamics are profound. With its proximity to India and strategic locations at the crossroads of key maritime routes, the island nation is a pivotal player in the geopolitical landscape of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
