Pro-China Mohamed Muizzu is the president-elect of the Maldives. [Picture: Avas]
The Maldives is a popular destination for tourists seeking sun-kissed beaches and the typical tropical island paradise. However, its idyllic, strategic situation now places it in a tight spot between competing global powers India and China.
“Maldives is right in the middle of the Indian Ocean, so it’s strategic for its traditional partner, India, as well as, in recent years, China,” said Ashraf Patel, a researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue.
Now, in a high-stakes election, a pro-China candidate has won the presidential election. Mohamed Muizzu, a 45-year-old mayor-turned-president, defeated pro-Indian Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in a second-round run-off.
“These two nations in some way are contesting to win the influence of Maldivians. There have been large infrastructure projects from China, other kinds of projects from India, and there is a level of debt that the nation has to repay these loans,” said Patel.
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Maldives and Islamophobia in India
According to Patel, undercurrents of rising Hindu nationalism in India have divided Indians in the diaspora in much the same way as it has in India. The electorate’s choice of a pro-China candidate might, in some way, reflect their stance on what has been happening in India.
“There needs to be very critical reflections on where the nation state’s policies are going. Be that as it may, geopolitical rivalries will continue. The world is globalised through internet communication, so you may be an island state in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but you’re connected through virtual communities and this is the nature of the global village,” said Patel.
He said the incoming president will have to decide on his list of priorities in a country caught between two political rivals. While development remains a major area of focus, he added that the island nation’s climate emergency was a pressing concern.
“There should be focus on the key issues … The main challenge they face is climate change. From the early days of the UN COP conferences, Maldives has always been a poster child of the island nation states that face vulnerability to climate change.”
