Maldivian President attends Chinese state banquet amid row with India

Beijing [China]: Amid the controversy around the disparaging remarks by Maldivian ministers and government officials against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a state banquet for Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Wednesday.

Muizzu, who is on a state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, also signed key agreements with the Chinese government and held official talks to enhance collaboration between the two countries, the Maldivian President Office said in an official press statement.

Further, according to the release, President Muizzu also held several meetings with Chinese officials to explore avenues to strengthen socioeconomic connections and bilateral relations between the two countries.

Significantly, this is the first state visit of the newly elected Maldivian President since assuming office in November last year. He is being accompanied by a high level delegation.

During his ongoing visit, the Maldivian President and Republic of China exchanged twenty key agreements. During the signing of agreements, he attended the ceremony at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.

China and the Maldives signed twenty MoUs, including on Disaster Risk Reduction, Fisheries, Digital Economy, Cooperation Plan on BRI, and Grant Assistance, among others.

According to an official release, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Disaster Management Authority of Maldives and the Ministry of Emergency Management of China on cooperation in the Area of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Additionally, a MoU was signed on Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources of the Republic of the Maldives, read the press statement.

President Muizzu’s maiden state visit to China, as opposed to India, came in the backdrop of a social media uproar and diplomatic row over disparaging remarks made by some Maldivian junior ministers and government officials against PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit.

Taking a strong exception to the unsavoury remarks, New Delhi summoned the Maldivian envoy and registered a strong protest.

Meanwhile, with #BoycottMaldives catching on with netizens, prominent faces of the Indian film industry and other leading celebrities came out in support of PM Modi’s call to promote beach tourism in Lakshadweep and other tourist destinations in the country.

Several Maldivian politicians, including former Presidents and ministers, too, condemned the remarks and reiterated that India was a close and important partner for the island nation.

Meanwhile, in the face of online fury and a flurry of cancellations of scheduled visits to the island country, the Maldivian government distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers.

Maldivian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Moosa Zameer, said such remarks against foreign leaders were “unacceptable” and did not reflect the official position of the government.