Mohamed Nasheed to make a serious Presidency bid; says 75 percent foreign debt of Maldives is owed to China
Flagging growing Chinese investments and military involvement, former president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, said Friday that it is worrying that the island nation seems to be moving away from traditional defence partners like India, the US, and UK.
In an interview with ThePrint, Nasheed — who is currently in exile with a jail sentence pending against him in Maldives — said that there has been a rapid increase in Chinese projects in the country and at the moment, over 75 percent of the total foreign debt is owed to Beijing.
Nasheed, who was ousted from power in February 2012, said that infrastructure being created with Chinese funds could be double edged as they can be used for other purposes like harbouring China’s vessels or warships.
On the role of India, Nasheed said that he is hoping New Delhi will encourage democratic processes in Maldives. Responding to a question, the former President said that he will make a serious attempt to contest the next elections in the island nation.
Watch the interview here:
