China Panics As Maldivian Opposition Calls For India’s Intervention

Even as the tiny country grapples with a government imposed emergency, China has opposed Indian military intervention into the Maldives following calls by the Maldivian Supreme Court and the Maldivian opposition.

Maldives’ former President Mohammed Nasheed has repeatedly asked for Indian intervention into the country, following current president Abdulla Yameen’s refusal to comply with its apex court’s orders, leading to political crisis.

Following Nasheed’s requests, Chinese foreign ministry has released a statement saying that any military intervention will complicate the situation.

Although, President Yameen has since moved to arrest the Maldivian Supreme Court judges as well as former President Abdul Gayoom, however the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang again stressed that the matter should be resolved ‘internally’.

Exiled former president Nasheed took on the Chinese ministry statement on Twitter, and again called for Indian intervention,

Maldives signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China in December last year, making it the second country in Asia to do so, after Pakistan. China is also strategically invested into the Maldives through its MoU to bring Maldives into the Maritime Silk Route.

The opposition in Maldives has claimed that China is tacitly supporting Yameen’s unconstitutional actions because of its investments in the nation.

China, meanwhile, has also directed thousand of its citizens to cancel their holiday plans to the Indian Ocean nation.