After giving India’s troops their marching orders, Maldives signs defence deal with China

The Maldivian defence ministry said it signed an “agreement on China’s provision of military assistance” with Beijing late on Monday, saying the agreement was “gratis”, or without payment or charge, but giving no further details.

The defence ministry said the deal was to foster “stronger bilateral ties”, in a post on social media platform X.

Both South Asian island nations are strategically placed halfway along key east-west international shipping routes.

Relations between Male and New Delhi have chilled since Muizzu won elections in September.

Delhi considers the Indian Ocean archipelago to be within its sphere of influence, but the Maldives has shifted into the orbit of China – its largest external creditor.

05:23

How India-Maldives tension was sparked by an online row over tourism

The Indian naval unit based on the island of Minicoy will boost “operational surveillance” of the area, the navy said.

Addressing a public rally north of the capital on Monday, Muizzu vowed there would be no Indian troops on Maldivian soil after May 10, when they are expected to complete a withdrawal.

The Indians had been deployed to operate three reconnaissance aircraft Delhi had gifted Male to patrol its vast maritime boundary.

India is expected to replace the military personnel with civilian staff to operate the aircraft, and the Maldives defence ministry announced last month that Indian civilian crew had begun arriving in the atoll nation.

Last month, Male allowed a controversial Chinese research ship to enter its waters in a sign of the nation’s diplomatic reorientation towards Beijing and away from its traditional benefactor India.

China also gave 12 electric ambulances to the Maldives on Sunday, the health ministry said.