China opposes foreign intervention in the Maldives

China on Wednesday opposed any external intervention to resolve the political crisis in the Maldives, hours after former president Mohamed Nasheed urged India to use its military to end the turmoil in the island nation.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang didn’t mention India at a regular news briefing but left no doubt which country he was referring to.

“The international community should play a constructive role on the basis of respecting the Maldives’ sovereignty instead of taking measures that could complicate the current situation,” Geng said when he was asked about Nasheed’s call for Indian intervention.

“The current situation in the Maldives is its internal affairs. China follows the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others,” he said in response to another question on allegations by opposition parties in the island nation that Beijing is backing embattled President Abdulla Yameen as he approved several Chinese projects.

The Maldives, an archipelago off India’s southern coast, plunged into political turmoil after the Supreme Court last week cleared Nasheed of terror charges, ordered the release of imprisoned opposition leaders and reinstated a dozen disqualified opposition lawmakers.

Yameen refused to comply with the order and instead imposed emergency on Monday. The government detained two top judges, including the Chief Justice, and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom before judges perceived as loyal to Yameen rolled back the order on the imprisoned political leaders on Tuesday.

China believes the “relevant parties” should find a solution internally, Geng said.

“I made myself clear. We hope relevant parties in the Maldives can properly resolve the issue through consultations and restore national stability and social order as soon as possible. We believe they (have the) wisdom and capability to address the situation independently,” he said.

Geng refuted allegations by the opposition parties of the Maldives that China is tacitly backing Yameen because he has approved several Chinese projects and signed a controversial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China during his visit to Beijing in December.

“China maintains friendly cooperation with the Maldives, including the FTA which serves the common interests of the two countries,” he said.

Nasheed, currently in self-exile, asked India on Tuesday to send an “envoy, backed by its military” to free the two Supreme Court judges and former president Gayoom. “We request a physical presence,” Nasheed tweeted.

He also appeared to oppose the stand taken by China and reiterated his demand for Indian intervention on Wednesday. “Saying ‘resolve things internally’ is akin to asking us to escalate the revolt, which can lead to chaos. Maldivians see India’s role positively: in ‘88 they came, resolved the crisis, and left. They were not occupiers but liberators. This is why Maldivians look to India now,” he tweeted.

Earlier on Wednesday, an editorial in the nationalistic Global Times tabloid said India should not interfere in the Maldives’ internal affairs.

“When Yameen’s government signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with China and joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indian public opinion reacted harshly. To maximise the country’s best interests, Yameen was perhaps considering developing diplomatic ties with all major powers. This infuriated New Delhi,” the editorial said.

“Political struggles are supposed to be internal affairs, and New Delhi has no justification to intervene in Malé’s affairs. The Maldives must be under huge pressure from India,” it added.

“The Maldives’ sovereignty should be respected. The political unrest should be left to the Maldivian people to address. We urge all sides in the country to exercise restraint and end the crisis at the minimum cost, striking the correct balance between legal and governmental authority,” it further said.

China, which has huge investments in the Maldives, views the island nation as key to its Maritime Silk Road project in the Indian Ocean as it has already acquired Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and set up a naval base at Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

Source: hindustantimes