After the concluding his five-day official trip to China, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said on January 13 that no country holds the right to “bully” the island nation.
In a press conference, Muizzu said, “We may be small but this doesn’t give them the authority to bully us.” His remarks surfaced amid a diplomatic pivot between India and the Maldives following three Maldivian ministers’ disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently concluding trip to Lakshadweep.
The ministers, Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Sharyf and Mahzoom Majid, were suspended by the Maldivian government for their vulgar comments.
Their comments, however, have caused fallout as scores of Indians allege to have cancelled their scheduled vacations to the Maldives. Amidst the controversy, EaseMyTrip, an online travel business, also postponed airline bookings to the Maldives.
Muizzu, during his visit to China, urged the country to send more tourists. “China was our (Maldives’) number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position,” he was reported as saying.
China and Maldives signed 20 agreements, which include the Action Plan for Building a China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2024-2028) and inked documents on cooperation in areas such as the Belt and Road, a joint statement had said.
