Maldives sitting on a debt pile, not bankrupt as of now

Maldives President is playing the China card with India hoping that Emperor Xi will give Male aid to tide over economic crisis

New Delhi: Even though Maldives has not gone bankrupt as media reports would have us believe, Male is heavily leveraged with external debt mounting to nearly USD 4.038 billion and the internal debt nearly matching the figure with debt crisis looming ahead in 2026. The gross national income of Mohammed Muizzu ruled Maldives is USD 5.6 billion as per official figures.

While Muizzu with his overt anti-India stance is asking for debt relief from his close friend Xi Jinping and Islamic emirates in the Middle-East, the Chinese debt of USD 1.3 billion constitutes nearly 30 per cent of its external debt with sovereign bonds maturing in 2026. Even though Muizzu sought financial support from the likes of Turkey and China, none is seen forthcoming as the Island nation reels in a fully blown economic crisis.

The Chinese surveillance ship Xiang Yang Hong 03, which had come for operational turn around at Male seaport on February 8, is still docked at the Maldivian port after 10 days even though it takes max two days for the ship to turn around and head for home port Sanya. For the record, the Chinese surveillance ship was only allowed to use the Male port for OTR and not conduct any survey or ocean bed mapping in the EEZ of Maldives and beyond.

While India is expected to replace the military crew of one ALH helicopter flying Maldivian flag by the end of this month or early March, the Modi government is on a wait and watch mode but fully prepared to help Maldives in case of an humanitarian disaster.

Rather than get worked up with Muizzu’s anti-India posture for his own political survival, the Modi government has given a green signal to Indian Navy to extend the air strip at Agatti islands in next door Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands with a new air base sanctioned for Minicoy islands. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will commission the first squadron of MH-60 R Sikorsky helicopters in Kochi on March 4-5 and then head towards Maldives on board India’s two aircraft carrier strike forces to Minicoy to commission a new base called INS Jatayu.

Even though Muizzu’s anti-India political posturing is aimed at the Majlis elections in April, the public mood towards China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI) for infra development in Maldives is at best lukewarm. This is after a number of countries like Pakistan, Kenya and Tanzania are reeling under BRI debt after taking high interest loans from Chinese EXIM banks.

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