Maldives President praises China's BRI project amid diplomatic row with India

Speaking at an event in Fuzhou, Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu praised China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and pushed for Chinese investment in his nation, even as a diplomatic crisis with India simmered beneath the surface.

Muizzu was speaking at a “Invest Maldives” business event. Muizzu is currently on his first state visit to China since taking office a few months ago.

“The fact that I am here in China on my first state-level visit is testament to the commitment of His Excellency President Xi Jinping and the people of China to the Maldives. We have no doubt that China will be our closest partner in development,” the Maldives President said during his address.

“With the unwavering support of China, we are confident that we can attain and exceed our goals and create a prosperous future for our people,” he added.

At a time when bilateral relations between India and the Maldives were already problematic, a diplomatic crisis has arisen. Following their derogatory remarks directed towards Indians and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, three ministers were suspended by the Maldives government.

This occurred after Muizzu called for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the island nation and spearheaded the “India Out” campaign prior to last year’s elections. Also, his government has no intention of extending its arrangement with India to carry out cooperative hydrographic surveys in the waters surrounding the Maldives.

Speaking at the Fuzhou event, Muizzu lauded the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project aimed at connecting East Asia and Europe and expanding China’s political and economic power.

“Maldives became an early party to His Excellency President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative in 2014 which has delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in the Maldivian history,” he said.

The Maldives dispatched a special ambassador to the Third Belt and Road Forum, which was held in October of last year in China.

In his remarks, Muizzu mentioned two major Maldivian initiatives that align with the goals of the BRI. Among them is a massive project to build the 25 million-passenger Velana International Airport.

“The new vision for our central airport that I launched just a few days before I arrived here, and the Commercial Port Project are key strategic initiatives of my government that are in alignment with the BRI vision of land, ocean, air and digital connectivity. The government is keen on exploring and taking partnerships for these projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” Muizzu said.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China is the Maldives’ largest foreign lender, accounting for almost 20% of the country’s total public debt. Maldives owes China almost $1.3 billion, according to data. The IMF has rated the island nation’s risk of foreign debt crisis as “high”.

During his speech, Muizzu stated that “external financial resources” and international investments were essential to the implementation of his several suggested projects.

Politicians in the Maldives, meanwhile, have mentioned concerns about falling into a Chinese debt trap. In an interview with ThePrint, former vice president of the Maldives Ahmed Adeeb said that the country’s foreign policy had to be “balanced” in order to prevent its economy from following “the Sri Lankan model.”

In 2017, Muizzu was a Maldivian governor for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is led by China. Under the administration of the late President Abdulla Yameen, he also held the positions of housing minister and mayor of Male. Muizzu was nominated by his party to replace Yameen, who was considered anti-Indian and was barred from standing for office following his incarceration on money-laundering charges.