Amid row with India, Maldives president begins visit to China

Amid strained ties and ongoing diplomatic row with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu departed for China, marking the beginning of a state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Muizzu, a pro-China leader, with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed departed for Beijing on Sunday night.

Muizzu, who came to power, speaking high about his ‘Out India’ campaign, suspended three deputy ministers — Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid — after derogatory comments posted by them on X (formerly Twitter) in response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promotion of Lakshadweep archipelago for tourism.

Some from Maldives viewed PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep as an effort to draw tourists away from popular beach destination Maldives, whose 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean are swamped with luxury resorts.