China will give Maldives a military boost: Diplomatic spat with India

China, the Maldives neighbor, is set to provide the country free military aid as tensions with Inda rise. China is going to give the Maldives free military support in the midst of a diplomatic spat With India. Beijing the Maldives inked a defense cooperation agreement on Monday, with Beijing offering free military support to promote stronger bilateral relations. This comes as tensions between the two nations are growing, the Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline for the first wave of Indian military personnel to leave his nation.

Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, the Maldives minister of defense, met Major General Zhang Baoqun, the Deputy Director of China’s Office for International Military Cooperation, to talk about strengthening defense ties between the two nations. The Maldivians defense ministry shared on its X handle the Maumoon and Major General Bapgun signed an agreement on China’s free military assistance to the Republic of the Maldives, promoting closer bilateral ties.

In addition to the free military support, China has given the Maldives 12 environmentally friendly ambulances, the news portal Edition.mv said on Monday. Wang Lixin, the Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, was presented at a ceremony on Sunday at the Ministry of Health where the same announcement was made. 
Days have passed since India announced that the first group of civilian technical experts had arrived in the Island nation to take the place of military personnel using an advanced light helicopter there. Now, a military delegation from China is visiting the Maldives.

President Muizzu had earlier set a deadline of March 10 for the first wave of Indian troops to leave his nation.

The Maldives is now home to the first technical team operating the cutting-edge light helicopter. During his weekly media briefing in New Delhi on February 29, Ministry of External affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that it will take the place of the current employees running this platform.
Diplomatic relations between Maldives and India are strained

Since Muizzu took office in November 2023, the relationship between India and Maldives had remained tense. Viewed as a pro-Chinese leader, the president of the Maldives declared upon assuming office that he would keep his word to expel Indian Personnel from his nation. When  Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Lakshadweep island in January  2024, tensions between the two nations increased even more. When Prime Minister Modi shared the pictures from his trip on social media, three ministers from the Maldives cabinet made disparaging remarks.