India has lost the Maldives- China, Maldives firm up defence ties

China, Maldives firm up defence ties amid GMR row

Press Trust of India / Beijing Dec 11, 2012, 21:21 IST


Amid a row over termination of Indian infrastructure major GMR's Male airport contract, China and Maldives today firmed up their defence ties with Beijing promising to maintain mutually beneficial relations with the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Liang Guanglie held talks with Maldivian counterpart Col (Retd) Mohamed Nazim here during which both sides pledged to strengthen military ties, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said.

The ministers exchanged views on regional security as well as relations between the two countries and their militaries, it said.

The visit of Nazim comes days after Maldives eased out GMR from the Male airport project much to the disquiet of India.

Nazim, who arrived yesterday, was at the forefront of talks with GMR for the smooth taking over of the airport by Maldives government after it "unilaterally" terminated the $511 million contract, signed by the previous regime of Mohamed Nasheed, on November 27.

Media reports had then said that China could be the force behind the move against GMR.

"Looking at the political situation and political framework in Maldives, I can't rule out anything," GMR Airports chief financial officer (CFO) Sidharth Kapur had told journalists last week in a press conference in New Delhi when asked about China angle.

China has been developing relations with Maldives with aid and commercial deals after consolidating its ties with Sri Lanka, gaining strong footing in India's backyard.

In his meeting with Nazim, Liang said China and Maldives enjoy a long history of friendship and sound development of bilateral relations.


China, Maldives firm up defence ties amid GMR row

 

The Indian Govt through its inept policies is handing over everything to China.

It is time to tell the Maldives and Ceylon that is time to read the tea leaves.

 

reply by indian govt r u kiding. our country run by god not by any govt.

 

I think ur being a little too uncharitable. The GoI has certainly upped its game ever since China has been making overtures with our subcontinental neighbors.

That said, I think this calls for strong arm tactics. The days of 'soft policy' instruments with the Maldives have passed. The Maldivian Government needs to be made to understand that the carrot is not far away from the stick.

 

Popular honeymoon resort for young Chinese couples.

Sent from Huawei Ascend T8830

 

Maldives must have impressed by Nimo''s avtar

 

‘India, China war games begin with countries like Maldives’

Dec7, 2012


The GMR case is only the beginning of the growing competition among Asian superpowers at the resource-rich Indian Ocean island.

Buzz that China is at work in the Indian Ocean nation to prompt the Maldives government to oust Indian infra major GMR, has gotten louder as China seems to have established itself as an attractive alternative to India.

Mohamed Nasheed, former president of the Maldives, in an interview with Indian Express today confirmed that the distrust between India and China has indeed been growing and unfortunately countries like Maldives, which are dependent on their neghbours for economic support, are used as pawns.

“We are in a period in time where we are witnessing the birth of new Asian superpowers. Countries such as the Maldives are places where a new Great Game is being played,” Nasheed is quoted as saying in the Express.

This newspaper had earlier reported that Maldives’ decision had more to do with political exigencies than legal issues as a a few elements in the Maldivian government want to push out the Indian company and rope in a Chinese firm instead.

Maldives’ radical Islamic party: Adhaalath, seen as a non secular political formulation which has been at the forefront of the agitation against GMR, tweeted last week, “We would rather give the airport contract to our friends in China, who now make the majority of our tourist population.”

Describing China as a growing superpower, the party, tweeted, “With China already based in Seashells (sic), the addition of Maldives as a friend would be a massive blow to future Indian power in this region…. India would lose her reliance on our strategic location and global trade routes. We will seek the assistance of China in this endeavor.”

China has already expanded its influence in the Maldives through tourism with 25 percent of inflow in 2012 so far.

India has a crucial strategic, military and economic interest in the Maldives as it has a naval and coast guard surveillance and maritime presence on the island nation, which is why it is closely watching China, which is trying to extend its footprint.

Maldives and GMR could therefore be the first small fish in this power struggle between India, China and Pakistan after the political feud in the Maldives intensified ever since the transition of power took place under abnormal circumstances on the 7th of February, 2012.

The political implications of this ouster became even more obvious when Mohamed Nasheed, during whose term the GMR-Male agreement was signed, stated, “Waheed’s government has cynically used xenophobia, nationalism and religious extremism to attack GMR, the country’s largest foreign investor. Waheed is leading the Maldives down the path to economic ruin.”

As one of the larger donors to Maldives, India is concerned that such massive project cancellations could hurt the interests of this atoll state in the long run. The move has already sent negative signals to prospective investors, including MNC's that are already present in the Maldives.

“Since the targeting of GMR, other multinational corporations have started selling their assets in the Maldives. Sadly, it is ordinary Maldivians who will suffer most,” Waheed told Express.

Several state and private Indian institutions have played a vital role in the economic and cultural development of Maldives. Threatening to suspend any kind of aid to the Maldives will only imply Advantage China since it is waiting to cash in on any disruption in India’s ties with smaller nations like Maldives. Moreover, it also likely to strengthen radical anti-Indian forces on the island.


‘India, China war games begin with countries like Maldives’ | Firstpost

 

Sate sponsored tourism by China?

I wonder!

 

Why not? Everything in China is sponsored by the state.

 

@Blackwater,

Don't troll.

 

When India is bleeding China has lost an arm. Compared to a peanut Maldives a much sizable Viet Nam has been dished to India.

Surprised? In 2011 alone 198 thousand Chinese visited Maldives. China has become the No.1 origin of tourists, followed by UK, Germany, Italy and Russia.

Therefore China has a strategic interest in Maldives.

 

atleast 7 maldives are my classmate
and majority of them dnt have good feeling for INDIA...

though i dnt knw the reason

 

Reason is simple , muslim ummah having tendency uniting muslims aganist India , US/NATO, Israel without reasons. Don't you know that?.

 

Stop talking crap. You Pakistanis are pathological lairs.

If you think concerned Indians are a thing of pleasure for you then you are already feeding on our propaganda bait. Grow some brain cells before commenting cheap nonsense.

 

Provocative Avtar should not be allowed

 

Maldives is far more strategically important to India. In case you missed it, we have a naval base and radar surveillance station there and Maldives is completely dependent on the Indian Government for military protection, including in their own domestic disputes. They are in every sense a satellite state. More importantly, they are a veritable lookout point for shipping lanes. Vietnam has had no such relationship with China.

 

If India feels its threat means just destabilize our neighbors IMO country security is far important than our economy. SL opted to buy Chinese aircraft recently , now Maldives we know well about Pakistan and BD stance. Its time for India to flex its muscles in our regions.

 

I am told that Nehru's grandson's uncle's friend was told by Ho Chi Minh that he (Ho Chi Minh) loved the US!

 

India Defends Maldives Tack

Spin doctors in the Indian foreign policy establishment are working overtime to defend India’s policy toward the Maldives as it faces questions galore about what New Delhi has – and more importantly hasn’t – done for Male in the worst political crisis the Indian Ocean island state has faced in decades.

The issue at stake is whether India lost out on an opportunity to demonstrate its big power status by preventing regime change in its backyard. First, Indian officials categorically rejected claims made by ousted President Mohamed Nasheed and his spokesmen that Nasheed sent out an SOS to New Delhi asking India to intervene militarily on behalf of his beleaguered government.

India is looking at the current political crisis in Maldives as an internal matter, and made clear that it won’t intervene militarily, although its armed forces are said to be ready with a contingency plan. However, key Indian officials have said this contingency plan is meant for evacuation and humanitarian purposes, not for military intervention, although the Indian Air Force is on standby.


Under the guidance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India has stepped up its diplomatic efforts with the Maldives and dispatched a top diplomat M. Ganapathy, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, to Male as a special envoy, while the Indian ambassador in Male is planning an all-party meet in the country. India has made it sufficiently clear to the Maldives and to the international community that it sees no justification in repeating Operation Cactus, from back in 1988, when India sent a small military contingent to the Maldives to liberate Male from a band of PLOTE rebels from Sri Lanka who had seized power for a few hours. The Indian rationale is that the 1988 coup was externally generated, whereas this time the political crisis has been precipitated by Maldivians themselves.

However, the stated Indian position conceals much, not least the drastically changed geopolitical situation. China has made huge strategic investments in the Maldives, much to the chagrin of the Indians. It seems unlikely Beijing would be happy with India flexing its military muscle in the region again.

India Defends Maldives Tack