Updated on Jan 11 at 11 p.m.

Amid a rough patch with neighbouring India, Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu signed 21 key bilateral agreements with India’s neighbour, China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan 10 held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu following which the two countries signed 21 bilateral agreements, including one on tourism cooperation.

India is the highest contributor to Maldives tourism, which indirectly contributes to the country’s economy on a large scale. While the highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 2,09,198 visitors in 2023, Russia was in second place with 2,09,146 arrivals, as per official data from the Maldives tourism ministry .

China, on the other hand, ranked third with 1,87,118 people visiting the Maldives.

Updated on Jan 10 at 1.35 p.m.

After three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, the Maldivian government on Jan 7 suspended them and distanced them from their social media posts.

The suspension of ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha, and Hassan Zihan came during the Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu’s five-day visit to China.

On Jan 9, as the diplomatic curry stirred, president Muizzu requested China to send more tourists to his country.

Some leaders have also reportedly called for actions, including initiating a ‘no confidence motion’ against the Muizzu government.

Muizzu won the presidential election in September 2023, having campaigned to alter the Maldives’s “India first” policy and promising the removal of a small Indian military presence of around 75 personnel.

India’s reaction

The comments by Muizzu in China came after a heated boycott row on social media that has been brewing in India against the Maldives.

From celebrities to business tycoons and influencers to travellers, a trail of boycotting trips to the Maldives had begun.

Notably, Indians are the second-largest expatriate community in the Maldives, with an approximate strength of around 22,000.

Maldives politics

The political bubble in the Islamic-island nation erupted after the derogatory remarks of three ministers against Modi after his Lakshadweep trip.

Many opposition leaders have expressed their concerns, condemning the ministers’ remarks.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a former president who lost his re-election bid to Muizzu, tweeted and condemned the “hateful language” used against India by Maldivian government officials.

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on Instagram | YouTube | Facebook