Colombo1 hour ago
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- President Muijju’s decision on his return from India
Maldives President Mohammad Muijju congratulated NDA on its victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Also participated in the program related to coronation of PM Modi in India last week. Muijju Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also had a conversation on different topics. However, Muijju’s feeling towards China has been revealed again as soon as he reached Maldives. His support for China is visible.
China appealed to the Maldivian government to dock its exploratory vessel. It has been said that the Maldives has allowed the Chinese ship to dock at its port only after the Sri Lankan government refused.
China’s eyes on the mineral reserves available in the Indian Ocean
Uditha Devapriya, lead international analyst at Colombo-based Think Tech Fact, says that China has been the leader of deep sea mining operations in the Indian Ocean for the past decade. In the future, China will launch more and more exploration ships in the Indian Ocean. Because there are large deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper. Also, the countries that want to carry out mining activities in these reserves need to first get permission from the International Seabed Authority. According to British journalist Mohammad Intikab, China already holds 15-year licenses for exploration at two locations in the Indian Ocean.
Maldives’ argument: Chinese ships are not a threat to India
Sources connected to the Muijju government have said that China has assured that its exploration vessel will not search in any area belonging to the Maldives. Maldives has told the Indian government and the Ministry of External Affairs that Chinese ships will not conduct any Indian spying or searches in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Sri Lanka bans Chinese ships for a year
Earlier, the Sri Lankan government had refused to allow Chinese ships to stay in its port. In December 2023, Sri Lanka refused to allow foreign exploration vessels to dock there. India raised objections after Chinese ships were allowed in 2022 and 2023.
