China warship in Maldives? Indian Navy says no

With tensions running high in the Maldives, reports from Beijing that 11 Chinese warships had sailed into the Indian Ocean, set alarm bells ringing, as analysts pondered India’s next move. According to a Chinese news portal, a fleet of destroyers and at least one frigate, a 30,000-ton amphibious transport dock and three support tankers from China had entered the Indian Ocean.

New Delhi and Beijing are already seen as having differing views on the current crisis in the island nation. While Beijing has not taken any public stand, it is believed to be backing the current Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and has in the past cautioned against any military intervention. New Delhi, on the other hand, is believed to be sympathetic to former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed who has called for India to intervene militarily to end the crisis.     

Meanwhile, approving President Yameen’s recommendation, the Maldivian Parliament extended the State Of Emergency on Tuesday by another one month. The development came just after a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs in India, which stated that it expected the Maldivian government not to extend the State Of Emergency in the island nation.  

“It is our expectation that the Government of Maldives will not be seeking extension of the State of Emergency so that the political process in Maldives can resume with immediate effect,” read the MEA statement from the External Affairs Ministry. 

“After the revocation of the Emergency, democratic institutions including the judiciary should be allowed to function independently and in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with the Constitution. The order issued by the Supreme Court of Maldives on 1 February 2018 should be implemented in letter and spirit,”  the statement added. 

The extension of the State of Emergency suggests President Yameen’s disinclination to heed New Delhi’s concerns. What should also worry Indian further is that Beijing’s newfound toehold in the Maldives is only getting larger. 

Earlier too, President Yameen has shown his intention of bringing Maldives into China’s sphere of influence, having signed up to be a part of the ‘Maritime Silk Road’ project as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Meanwhile, later in the day sources in the Indian Navy contradicted the Chinese media reports and stated that there were no deployment of Chinese warships near the island nation.