New Delhi: Former Maldives vice-president Ahmed Adeeb has expressed concern about the island country falling deeper into China’s orbit, and becoming economically dependent on Beijing, much like Sri Lanka.
This comes at a time when Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has embarked on a state visit to China after a diplomatic crisis erupted between Male and New Delhi over derogatory remarks made by senior Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Adeeb argued that the Muizzu government should have opted for a more balanced foreign policy, especially amid looming debt concerns.
“Maldives needs foreign aid and budget support because we need to pay off $1 billion in debt which will be realised in 2026. The government of Maldives needs to think along these lines…We should have balanced the foreign policy and gone for a state visit to India first (instead of China). This way, we could have been friends with everyone and it would have benefitted us much more than being one-sided,” Adeeb said.
On Sunday, the Maldives government suspended three ministers — Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid — for their disparaging comments against Modi and Indians.
The remarks created a furore in India and prompted calls to boycott travelling to Maldives — an island nation that heavily depends on tourism. More so, Indians are among the largest group of tourists to annually visit Maldives.
Muizzu’s ‘India out’ policy
Tension between Male and New Delhi has been brewing over the past few months. After spearheading an ‘India Out’ campaign ahead of elections last year, one of Muizzu’s first priorities on becoming president was to remove Indian military personnel from the island nation.
Modi subsequently did not attend Muizzu’s oath-taking ceremony, unlike in the case of his predecessors.
Muizzu also went on to break tradition by visiting Turkey as his first foreign trip, instead of India which had been the norm. His first state visit to China, which is ongoing, has also been viewed as unusual as most of his predecessors often visited New Delhi before Beijing.
The controversial and unprovoked remarks by the now-suspended Maldivian ministers added to this strained relationship and even invited sharp criticism from all sections of Maldivian politics, including former presidents Mohammed Nasheed and Ibrahim Solih.
Several sitting MPs have also spoken out. MP and former deputy speaker Eva Abdullah suggested the Muizzu government issue a formal apology to the Indian people.
“We’re very aware of how dependent we have been on India, and that India has always been the first responder whenever we are in need. We’ve been dependent on India for economic relations, social relations, health, education, trade, tourism,” she told ANI.
#WATCH | On Maldives MP's post on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, Maldives MP and Former Deputy Speaker, Eva Abdullah says "It is absolutely critical that the Government of Maldives distanced itself from the comments by the minister. I know that the government has suspended the… pic.twitter.com/RzgitjAfos
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2024
‘Maldives has hit ceiling of Chinese loans’
The Maldivian economy has been struggling ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, and looming debt has become a cause for concern.
Maldives already pays $400 million in annual debt, but will also have to cough up a total of $1 billion by 2026.
“I have many concerns about the economy of Maldives which is going in the same way as Sri Lanka. This has already been stated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank. If we’re going to borrow from China, for example, there are already loans. The ceiling has been reached (with China),” Adeeb said.
He added that during the Covid crisis, India provided budgetary support to Maldives which he noted was a “unique” gesture.
While in China, Muizzu is expected to sign a slew of agreements on trade and economy with Beijing.
China is currently the island nation’s largest external creditor, comprising about 20 percent of its total public debt, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Data shows that Maldives owes China about $1.3 billion. The island country’s risk of external debt distress has been classified as “high” by the IMF.
Adeeb argued that the Muizzu government should balance its foreign policy keeping economic considerations in mind.
“Since it’s a very young government, they have a chance to patch up with India and balance the foreign policy. The (Muizzu) government is new and they are learning,” he said.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: Maldives tourism body condemns derogatory comments against PM Modi, calls India ‘closest neighbour’