Maldives Signs China Defense Deal as India Prepares Exit

Maldives Defense Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon and Major General Zhan Baoqun, deputy director of the PLA's office for international cooperation, signed a military assistance on March 4, 2024. Image via the Maldive Ministry of Defense.

The Maldives has signed a “military assistance” deal with China after ordering Indian troops deployed in the small but strategically-placed archipelago to leave, officials said Tuesday.

Some 89 Indian military personnel in the country will be gone by May 10 after having been previously ordered out by pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu, who came to power last year on an anti-Indian platform.

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by Agence France-Presse

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