China urged New Delhi to keep an 'open-minded' approach amid the ongoing India-Maldives issues. "New Delhi should stay more open-minded, as China's cooperation with South Asian countries is not a zero-sum game," said Global Times in an editorial article.
The statement came amid Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's five-day visit to China which began on Monday. Muizzu, who is regarded as 'pro-China', is accompanied by his wife Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation. The President and the First Lady were greeted by senior Chinese officials upon their arrival in the country.
“It also respects the friendly and cooperative relationship between the Maldives and India, fully aware of the importance for Male to maintain good relations with New Delhi. Beijing has never asked Male to reject New Delhi because of the conflicts between China and India, nor does it view cooperation between the Maldives and India as unfriendly or a threat,” the Global Times article stated.
"It (China) is also willing to carry out trilateral cooperation between China, India and the Maldives. New Delhi should stay more open-minded, as China's cooperation with South Asian countries is not a zero-sum game," it further said.
Earlier, Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar was called to the country's foreign ministry on Monday, where he had a pre-arranged meeting with Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at large at the ministry. This came after Maldivian Envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday morning.
What is the story so far?
A significant controversy erupted when Maldives ministers made disparaging remarks about PM Modi. Using the social media platform X, PM posted images of the picturesque white beaches, clear blue skies, and the ocean, encouraging adventurous exploration in Lakshadweep. In a post that has now been deleted, Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, while commenting on the photos of PM Modi, dubbed him as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’.
The controversial remarks set off a major row on social media platforms, as thousands of Indians cancelled their bookings and flight tickets to Maldives. High-profile celebrities like Akshay Kumar also took to social media to condemn the remarks made against PM Modi.
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