The presidential election of the Maldives ended on September 30 attracted great attention from the international community.The Indian Times released the Presidential Election of the Maldives on the same day, and the influence of China and India became the topic of the central topic.On the same day, President Wen Marie in New York lost in the election, and India and China grabbed the limelight.On October 1st, the Washington Post published a relative of pro -Chinese candidates to win the Maldives election and gave India a top one.On the October 3rd, the Associated Press published entitled that the Maldives was elected president and said that it will fully clear India's articles in Malaysia's military forces in Malaysia.Reuters was elected president on October 4 that foreign army must leave the Maldives.The Maldives is composed of more than 1,000 islands and reefs, with a land area of more than 200 square kilometers and a population of about 560,000.Why does the presidential election attract the attention of important world media on the international stage?
On the one hand, the exacerbation of competition in large powers has excessively enlarged the effect of small country diplomacy.The strategic competition between China and the United States and China and India has exacerbated at the same time as regions and the world. The adjustment of foreign policies that may be triggered by the Presidential Election of the Maldives has been highly concerned by India and Western countries.If Western countries United India cannot restrain the rise in China's influence in the Indian Ocean region, it will undoubtedly be considered a major diplomatic failure by this alliance.Western media, which is accustomed to the Cold War thinking, will inevitably observe the diplomatic impact of the Maldives presidential election from the zero -harmonious paradigm.
On the other hand, since the establishment of the republic in 2008, the Maldives have a certain difference in the printed stance.The relationship between the two countries and politics, military, and economy is very close."India first" is the basic diplomatic principle of Maldives.In 2008, Maldives's first candidate President Mohamed Nasheed in history was India first visited the country after his inauguration.Nahid visited India again in 2011.
2013 to 2018 is the ABDulla Yameen, known as the "pro -Chinese".Compared with Nahid, the Yaming government emphasizes the strategic autonomy of Malaysia and reducing excessive dependence on India, and advocates the balance of China and India rather than falling towards India.During the period, China -Malaysia relations have developed.In 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Maldives. The two countries agreed to build a comprehensive friendly partnership between China and Malaysia in the future.In 2015, the Asian Ming visit to China attended the 3rd China -South Asian Expo.In 2017, Yaming conducted a state visit to China.Maldives has become a participant in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.
However, the relationship between Ma and India did not deteriorate during the period, and Yaming visited India twice in 2014 and 2016, respectively.After the 2018 Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was elected, it reiterated the "India Priority" policy and highlight the special friendship relationship between Malaysia and India.Salich took India as the first visit to the country after his inauguration, and visited India again in 2022.During Salich's ruling, India assisted the establishment of an Yingjila Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the School of Engineering and Technology in Maldives. In 2020, the two countries implemented a $ 150 million currency exchange plan.The cooperation between the two countries in the military field is particularly prominent.In 2019, India presented a patrol boat made by Maldives.In February 2021, India provided Maldives with a credit limit of $ 50 million and signed an agreement with Malaysia to allow India to build and maintain a naval base for the Malaysian military.In November 2021, the Malaysian Ministry of Defense revealed that India provided military planes to Malaysia and had 75 Indian military in Malaysia.
In Maldives's domestic politics, India is an inevitable topic.In addition to the extremely close relationship between the two countries and the long -term high dependence of India, the Malaysians have always been dissatisfied with India's military in Malaysia.At present, India has a small special team in Malaysia to manage one maritime patrol aircraft and two helicopters to monitor the exclusive economic zone of Malaysia in the name of medical care, search and rescue services.
Some privileges enjoyed by India in Malaysia make more voters believe that the two countries may reach a secret military agreement.As the current president's candidate, Mohamed Muizzu will naturally cater to public opinion in order to win the election.The "Indian issue" has therefore become the core topic of this election.As early as 2022, the Malaysian opposition party launched the "India Out" campaign.In this election, Muyzu played the "Indian card" without losing time.In an interview, he said, "The people tell me that they don't want foreign troops to stay here." Muyzu said that the people chose to "win the independence of the Maldives."In addition, Muyzu is also the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure of the Yaming government, which has vigorously promoted the first Belt and Road projects such as the cross -sea bridge in Malaysia.The above two reasons have led Muyzu to be labeled with "pro -Chinese".
However, as mentioned earlier, China and India are not the same as the other in the diplomacy of Maldives.Malaysia has always maintained friendly relations with China -India. The difference is that Nashid and Salich advocate that they have fallen to India and maintain a friendly relationship between Malaysia.Sino -Indian relations are balanced.
Muyzu, who belongs to the same party alliance with Yaming, is likely to copy the Foreign Policy of the Yaming government.The national interests and practical conditions of Maldives did not allow him to implement the foreign policy of "pro -Chinese revenge".The election language does not mean foreign policy.As the famous India's famous Srikanth Kondapalli said, "Compared with India's existence and influence, China's existence in Malaysia is not strong. China has no immigrants in Malaysia, no enterprises, and no military existence.China has funded infrastructure and built an administrative building, that's all. "
In addition, in the context of the intensification of strategic competition between China and the United States, the Maldives will also worry about the possible price of the pro -Chinese route.A few days before the first round of elections in September, the United States opened the first embassy in Malaysia, and the United Kingdom and Australia followed up.The above -mentioned measures in these countries are obviously under pressure to Muyzu who may win the election.The Muyu government may strengthen economic cooperation with China, but it will still maintain traditional friendship with India, which is not the so -called "pro -Chinese government".China is well versed in the original committee. Because of this, Xi Jinping went to call Muyzu to be elected president on October 3, while Indian Prime Minister Modi sent a congratulatory message as soon as he won.
The author is an associate professor at the University of Sichuan Foreign Studies
