Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is set to embark on his first state visit to China from January 8 to 12, following an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit is aimed at strengthening practical cooperation between the two nations, particularly within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Analysts note that President Muizzu’s decision to visit China first, before India, breaks with the tradition of previous Maldivian presidents and underscores the deepening ties between the Maldives and China. The visit is expected to include formal talks, a signing ceremony for cooperation documents, and meetings with Chinese leaders, including Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
Over the past decade, China-Maldives relations have deepened, achieving fruitful results in jointly building the BRI and practical cooperation in various fields. President Muizzu, who has previously served as the minister of Housing and Infrastructure and the mayor of Malé City, is expected to focus on aligning the Maldives’ national development strategy with China’s BRI during the visit. The two countries are anticipated to sign documents covering the economy, people-to-people exchanges, and climate change.
While Indian media has closely monitored Muizzu’s visit to China, experts urge India to avoid adopting a zero-sum mindset or Cold War mentality when assessing China’s collaborations with South Asian countries. Muizzu’s foreign policy should not be perceived as favoring any specific nation, but rather, it is based on tangible accomplishments of bilateral collaboration. India’s strained relations with some countries in South Asia are attributed to its desire to maintain influence in the region and an outdated Cold War mentality.
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