India China may work together to boost Maldives development

After landslide victory of opposition party in Maldives elections and defeat of pro-Beijing Abdulla Yameen, China’s state-run Global Times suggested that India-China work together in the South Asian nation and can make the balance of power.

Global Times has published a series of articles since Monday, on poll results on Maldives. In one of the article ‘China, India should cooperate in Maldives’ it wrote, “Some Western media outlets say Solih’s victory deals a potential blow to China and he will likely adopt an anti-China stance. However, mainly domestic political factors were behind the election results. For instance, with Opposition leaders and judges arrested by the Yameen government, the Opposition party got united amid public concerns about damage to democracy and the rule of law “.

The newspaper justified the Chinese investment in Maldives and suggested that the Chinese facilities can be used by Indian persons and companies to boost Maldives development, it said, “In fact, it shouldn’t be a one-or-the-other game for China and India in the Maldives. China invests in the Maldives as it is needed by the nation, a normal cooperative practice between two countries”.

After @ibusolih assumes office, he may launch balanced policies that serve #Maldives’ national interest. https://t.co/5FeT4VxnAj pic.twitter.com/iBDHpyvumD

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) September 27, 2018

It added, “China neither has the intention nor the need to shut out India on the archipelago…In fact, the building of infrastructure by China in the Maldives has created favourable conditions for the business and personnel of Indian companies on the island country. China and India can actually help boost Maldives’ development by using their own strengths”.

The Global Times further suggested that by working together China-India can create the balance of power in South Asian Region, it said, “Beijing has come up with a constructive “two-plus-one” mechanism — China and India plus another South Asian country — as a demonstration of sincerity. The mechanism can not only enhance mutual trust between China and India, but prevent other South Asian countries from being caught in between. This aims to harmonize relations between countries and serves the interest of all relevant parties, and is worth a careful consideration by New Delhi. Perhaps the two powers can have a try in the Maldives first”.