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Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang docks in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on October 12. Photo: Xinhua

As China’s navy docks in Bangladesh, India watches with ‘growing concern’

Beijing is keen to cement ties with the new interim government in Dhaka – but analysts say all India sees is ‘continuous Chinese build-up’.

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Allies again? India’s ‘strategic patience’ with Maldives appears to pay off

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Singapore Airlines offers Hong Kong fliers tickets discounted by up to 60%

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China’s Fosun in talks to sell stake in Club Med to Singapore’s CapitaLand

The firm, part of Temasek Holdings-owned conglomerate CapitaLand Group, seeks to acquire from 20 to 30 per cent of the hotelier.

Club Med’s Kiroro Peak resort, located in Hokkaido, Japan. Photo: Club Med

Luxury airline forced to delay Hong Kong-Maldives service launch by 1 year

Business-class only airline Beond says launch delay due to long waits for aircraft deliveries, but stresses importance of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese markets.

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Opinion | Unrest in Bangladesh is canary in coal mine for Global South

To surpass the West, the so-called ‘rest’ must first reckon with economic mismanagement, youth unemployment and shifting public opinion.

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China’s scientific sea voyages might rile India, but will they lead to clash?

Chinese research ships in Indian Ocean will raise alarms, but New Delhi is unlikely to escalate unless it feels threatened, analysts say.

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The Zhongshan Daxue, or Sun Yat-Sen University in English, is China’s largest and most advanced oceanographic research vessel. Photo: Xinhua

After Bangladesh chaos, is India losing its South Asia allies to China?

India may need to redefine its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy to accommodate China’s presence in the region, analysts note.

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Maldives seeks to reset strained ties with India in bid to woo back tourists

The rapprochement comes after relations nosedived over the Indian troop presence in the Maldives and Malé drew closer to Beijing.

Opinion | Can democracy in South Asia withstand US-China rivalry?

From rising authoritarianism to political instability, unrest throughout the region has intensified alongside shifting alliances.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens

Oceans apart: are China and India drifting into troubled waters?

China’s ports and ship deployments in India’s backyard raise concerns of control and influence in Indian Ocean as next possible flashpoint.

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China’s research and survey vessel, the Yuan Wang 5, arrives at Hambantota port on August 16, 2022. Photo: AFP

Review | Waldorf Astoria vs Raffles Meradhoo – which is the Maldives’ best resort?

Two luxe 5-star resorts in the Maldives offer their own approach to island life – but both have sumptuous villas, delicious food, relaxing spas, and plenty of sun, sand and surf

Asian Angle | Ocean’s treasure: Maldives’ blue economy builds on traditions, folk stories

The Maldives’ development model, which has aimed to make better use of its marine resources, plays a key role in its survival and growth.

Minister arrested for performing ‘black magic’ on Maldives president

State environment minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem was remanded in custody for a week pending investigations.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. Photo: AFP

The Maldives bans Israeli tourists

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Israelis banned from luxury Indian Ocean tourist hotspot Maldives over Gaza war

The Islamic island nation will impose a ban on all Israeli passports, said the office of the president, announcing a national fundraising campaign in ‘solidarity with Palestine’.

Biden’s Gaza plan ‘not a good deal’ but Israel accepts it, Netanyahu aide says

Pressure is growing on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following US President Joe Biden’s proposal for an end to the war in Gaza.

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India-Maldives ties in flux as China’s growing sway causes New Delhi to fret

After a tense start to the year, India and the Maldives appear to be mending fences – with what analysts call ‘deep economic difficulties’ pushing the Indian Ocean nation to engage.

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Male, capital of the Maldives. Indian considers the archipelago nation, which is situated along key shipping routes, part of its sphere of influence. Photo: Getty

What to expect at Maldives’ Soneva Secret, from manta rays to an astrologer

The vision of sustainable luxury hotel pioneers Sonu Shivdasani and his wife Eva, the newly opened Soneva Secret is located in the remote-but-pristine Haa Dhaalu Atoll

Tencent’s WeChat Pay expands coverage to the Maldives

The Chinese internet giant aims to expand the coverage of WeChat Pay in the Maldives to 8,000 merchants by the end of this year.

With Chinese loans looming, Maldives gets IMF warning over ‘debt distress’

As of June 2023, the Export-Import Bank of China owned 25.2 per cent of the Maldives’ external debt and was the country’s biggest single lender.

A construction worker looks on as the China-funded Sinamale bridge is seen in Male, Maldives. Photo: Reuters

Indian troops withdraw from Maldives at pro-China leader’s request

India pulled out its last remaining soldiers stationed in the Maldives on Friday, meeting a deadline for their withdrawal that had strained ties between the two neighbours.

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Indian Border Security Forces. At the urging of the Maldives, India has completely withdrawn its troops from the archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Photo: AFP/File

After big election win, Maldives’ pro-China president has ‘nothing to block him’

A thumping victory for his party in this month’s parliamentary elections has lent Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu a free hand. But observers say his country is simply ‘too small’ to be taking sides.

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Landslide win for pro-China leader’s party in Maldives election

Voters backed President Mohamed Muizzu‘s tilt towards China and away from traditional benefactor India, with his party winning 66 of the first 86 seats declared on Monday.

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Maldives court frees jailed ex-president Abdulla Yameen

Judges ruled that Yameen’s 2022 trial on corruption and money-laundering charges during tenure of a pro-Indian government was unfair, ordered a retrial.

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Former Maldives president Abdulla Yameen waves to supporters outside his home in Male on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Maldives signed military deal with China but may remain swing state

As Indian military begins withdrawing, China’s defence ministry confirms a PLA delegation last week visited island nation and met President Muizzu.

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China’s defence ministry says a PLA delegation to the Maldives last week was part of a three-nation tour that also included Sri Lanka and Nepal. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images

Can India mend fences with the Maldives amid China’s gambit to gain clout?

India should take steps to counter China’s ‘timely opportunism’ to draw closer to the Maldives, analysts say.

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After ordering India’s troops to leave, Maldives signs defence deal with China

The Maldivian defence ministry said it had signed an ‘agreement on China’s provision of military assistance’ without giving further details. Some 89 Indian military personnel in the Indian Ocean nation will be gone by May 10.

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Maldives
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Maldives. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Malé
Head of State
President Mohamed Muizzu
Head of Government
President Mohamed Muizzu
last updated:
25 September, 2024
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