'We Lose More Sovereignty': Ex-Prez. Mohamed Nasheed Raises Alarm Against Maldives ties With China

Republic Summit 2024: Raising alarms against Maldives' growing relations with China, Former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed elucidated how China uses debt traps to influence smaller nations. While dressing latest edition of Republic Summit, Nasheed gave his take on ongoing India-Maldives diplomatic row and Muizzu ministration's closeness with Beijing. During a one-on-one interaction with Republic TV's Niranjan Narayanaswamy, Maldivian leer emphasised that island nation should have a “stable foreign policy” and not keep swinging “from one side to anor”.

In mega event, Nasheed explained his stance on matter by throwing light on how China influences countries by putting m in a debt trap. “China has given us a lot of loans to build infrastructure in our country. China intentionally raises price of project so that business plan fails. When plan fails, one can't pay back loan,” Nasheed explained. “y ask for equity and with equity, we lose more sovereignty. Maldives has to be mindful of se Chinese loans,” he ded.

‘You can't divorce us from India': Nasheed 

During interaction at Republic Summit, Nasheed reiterated significance of strong ties between India and Maldives. “You cannot marginalise Maldives from India. Most of our doctors and teachers are Indians… Anti-India sentiment is not Maldives' sentiment. We watch same films, eat same food, and have similar cultures, we are united and are same people. You can't divorce us from India,” Maldivian leer averred. He went on to mit that “Boycott Maldives" campaign has impacted country's tourism in a significant way. 

While insisting that majority of people in Maldives are friends of India, Nasheed insisted India has always helped Maldives and has never been a “bully”. “India has always come and helped us out and se are not actions of a bully. I want to see India rise. I strongly believe our safety and security are linked,” Nasheed said in Thursday event. “India respected a small island nation Maldives. India spoke to concerned people of Maldives and found ways how to handle it ( recent issue). se are actions of a responsible superpower,” he ded. 

comments from former president came days after current President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu accused India of being a “bully”.  “Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 9,00,000 square kilometres. Maldives is one of countries with biggest share of this ocean. This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it," Maldivian President said in January, this year. However, callous remarks from Muizzu attracted a sharp rebuttal from External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar. While dismissing allegations veteran diplomat noted that so-called “big bullies” don't provide USD 4.5 billion to neighbours when y are in “distress”.

India's biggest news summit- Republic Summit 2024, began with huge enthusiasm, on Thursday in Delhi. Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami inaugurated Republic Summit 2024. me for this year's Summit is "Bharat: Next Dece," with a focus on what India can do in coming 10 years to make sure that country achieves dream of 'Viksit Bharat - A Developed India', before 2047.