India's Subtle Messaging To Xi Jinping? Arunachal's Kiren Rijiju Sent To Attend Swearing-In Ceremony Of Maldives' New 'China-Friendly' President

India has sent Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of Earth Sciences from Arunachal Pradesh, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new 'China-friendly' Maldivian President, Mohamed Muizzu.

Earlier last week (10 November), Maldives extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the oath-taking ceremony of President-elect Muizzu.

Rijiju arrived in Male, the capital of the Maldives, yesterday (16 November), marking five years since PM Modi attended the outgoing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's ceremony.

The sending of Rijiju, originally from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, carries a subtle message from India to China amidst the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory, part of southern Tibet, referring to it as 'Zangnan'.

China's insistent claims on Arunachal are linked to the Dalai Lama, who, in the late 1950s, crossed over from Tibet to India via Tawang, a district in Arunachal, to avoid persecution from Chinese authorities.

In April 2023, China hilariously, announced new 'imaginary' names for 11 localities in Arunachal Pradesh, all in physical control of India.

Muizzu, often perceived as favouring China, is scheduled to assume the presidency of the Maldives today (17 November).

The Maldives's President-elect, Muizzu, secured victory in a fiercely contested election in September, winning 54 per cent of the votes in the poll run-off.

Hailing from former President Abdulla Yameen’s political camp (who displayed distinct anti-India behaviour and took Maldives very close to China), Muizzu has expressed his intention to negotiate the removal of Indian troops from Maldivian soil, a pledge he made during his election campaign. His campaign also centered around anti-India sentiments with the tagline 'India Out'.

Rijiju was received by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President-elect.

“Honoured to welcome @KirenRijiju, Hon. Minister of Earth Sciences of India, to #Maldives. His presence at the inauguration of President-elect Dr @MMuizzu, representing Hon. PM @narendramodi, Govt & people of India, reflects the long-standing partnership between our 2 nations,” Moosa Zameer, a senior leader from Muizzu's party, said in a post on X.