The Maldives government’s recent decision to allow a Chinese ship to dock at their port despite strained ties with India has raised concerns among the opposition parties, who have warned that this “anti-India stance” could have negative implications for the country’s development. President Mohamed Muizzu, who won the 2023 elections with an anti-India narrative, represents a departure from his predecessors’ pro-India policies. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats, the two main opposition parties, emphasized the importance of maintaining ties with all development partners, including India, which they referred to as the country’s “most long-standing ally.”
According to the opposition parties, stability and security in the Indian Ocean are crucial for the Maldives, and they stressed the need for the government to work with all development partners as it has traditionally done. The parties expressed their concerns at a joint news conference, highlighting the significance of the Indian Ocean Region and the potential geopolitical and military implications of the Maldives’ growing affinity towards China.
The opposition’s warning comes in the wake of the Maldives’ decision to upgrade its ties with China following a diplomatic row with India and setting a deadline for India to withdraw its troops. President Muizzu’s state visit to China after assuming office and the government’s allowance of a Chinese survey ship to dock at one of its ports have been cited as evidence of a shift away from India and towards Beijing.
The opposition parties’ cautionary remarks underscore the contrasting foreign policy approach of the current administration and its departure from the historically pro-India stance. They emphasized the need for the government to consider the long-term implications of its foreign policy decisions and to avoid alienating crucial allies for the country’s development.
