Moijju going on a state visit to China.
Maldives President China Visit: Maldives President Mohammed Moizzu chose China over India for his first official visit after becoming the President. There has been a tradition that when a head of state of Maldives is elected, he traditionally visits India first. Same is the case in Nepal also, the person who becomes the Prime Minister there traditionally visits India first. Its purpose is to create an unspoken bond of mutual traditional ties towards India. But Maldives President Moizzoo has broken this tradition. He is going to China as his first state visit instead of India. Moijju is known for adopting anti-India stance.
There is an uproar after Maldives Minister Mariam Shiuna made objectionable remarks on PM Modi. Amidst this uproar, President Mohammad Moizzu along with his wife Sajida Mohammad left for China on Sunday night. This visit is taking place after the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. A high level delegation is also accompanying Moijju. A senior official said that there will be a strategic meeting between the two top leaders. Also, relationships will create new dimensions. This tour will last from 8 to 12 January.
Moijju’s first state visit after assuming office
Mohammad Muizzu is seen as a pro-China politician. This is President Muizu’s second foreign visit after assuming office. Visited Turkey before reaching Dubai for the COP28 summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a welcoming ceremony and reception for the President of Maldives. He further said that China and Maldives have been friends since ancient times. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have treated each other with respect.
Earlier, former Presidents of Maldives had chosen India as their first visit. Even staunch anti-India leader Mohammad Waheed in 2012 and Abdullah Yameen two years later had given priority to India, but Muizzu has given priority to China.
Chinese government media spews venom against India
China’s state media Global Times has again spewed venom against India regarding Maldives. Global Times has appealed to India to show more openness on China-Maldives relations. Global Times wrote in its editorial that there is a long history of cooperation between China and Maldives. Economic and trade relations between the two countries began in 1981. In December 2014, top officials from both countries met in Beijing for the first meeting of the China-Maldives Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Global Times spewed venom in the Indian media over the reporting of Maldivian President Muizzoo’s visit to China. He wrote that the Indian media has paid a lot of attention to Moijju’s visit to China. Indian media had already anticipated that the President of Maldives might visit China before visiting India. Global Times claimed that this shows that India sees South Asia as its sphere of influence. Global Times enlightened that Muizzu’s decision to visit China before India does not mean that he is “pro-China and anti-India”.
Praised China-Maldives relations
Global Times further wrote that in 2017, the two countries signed a free trade agreement under which they sought to reduce tariffs to zero on more than 95 percent of goods in bilateral trade. Besides, both sides have also committed to further open their service departments. She further wrote that since 2010, China has been the largest source of tourists for Maldives for 10 consecutive years. In 2022, bilateral trade is expected to grow 10.1 percent year-on-year to $451 million.
Muijju was shown the benefits of friendship with China
Chinese media told Maldives what benefits Maldives will get from friendship with China. During his office as Mayor of Malé, Muizzu had a clear understanding of the positive impact of the BRI on the economy and society of the Maldives. In such a situation, he actively promoted Maldives’ participation in BRI. During his visit to China, the two countries are expected to strengthen cooperation under BRI on a large scale.
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