Chinese minister set to visit Sri Lanka, Maldives

Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 30

Lying low since the defeat of its candidate in the Maldives Presidential elections in 2018, Beijing will make another attempt to mend fences with Male during a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi next month. The multi-country tour will also include Sri Lanka, which had recently blamed spurious organic fertilisers from China for damaging its kharif crop.

The purported purpose of Wang’s visit to both of India’s neighbours is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of China-Maldives diplomatic relations and the 65th anniversary of China-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

A month ago, Maldives had released from jail its former President Abdullah Yameen during whose tenure India and its interests were pointedly sidelined. However, with Ibrahim Soleh becoming President, India has launched the biggest-ever infra project in the island nation, besides drawing the Maldives into a closer security embrace that includes its endorsement of a free Indo-Pacific. Wang will first visit Eritrea, Kenya and Comoros and then travel to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

Connecting with India’s neighbours

• Sri Lanka’s bonhomie with China stuttered earlier this year when it decided to shift completely to organic fertilisers
• The shipments were found to be contaminated, leading to Sri Lanka rejecting them and China launching international arbitration in retaliation
• The subsequent economic crises has compelled Sri Lanka to seek India’s assistance that includes a massive loan