Maldives: Indian troops to exit country as China gains foothold - BBC News

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, seen as pro-China, had asked Delhi to withdraw troops from his country.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu came to power after a high-voltage 'India Out' campaignBy Anbarasan EthirajanBBC NewsIndia is set to pull its first batch of military personnel from the Maldives on Sunday as the island nation moves closer to China.

The phased withdrawal of about 80 Indian troops must meet a May deadline set by President Mohamed Muizzu, who is widely seen to be pro-China.

India has said its military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to maintain and operate two rescue and reconnaissance helicopters and a small aircraft it had donated years ago. Removing Indian troops was an election promise made by Mr Muizzu, who came to power in November.

India has long wielded influence over the Maldives, whose strategic location in its backyard allowed it to monitor a crucial part of the Indian Ocean. But the relationship between the countries has soured over the past few months, partly due to Mr Muizzu's strong rhetoric against Delhi. It's a gap China is looking to exploit as the Asian powers jostle for influence in the region.

Even then, Delhi and Male (the capital of the Maldives) managed to agree that Indian civilian technical staff would replace military troops to operate the aircraft - the first team has already reached the islands.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68498232

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