Maldives Votes in the Shadow of India-China Rivalry

Motorists ride past election hoardings of candidates for Maldives' upcoming parliamentary elections, in Male on April 17, 2024. Maldives' parliamentary elections will be held on April 21, 2024. Mohamed Afrah / AFP

The Maldives votes Sunday in a parliamentary election likely to test President Mohamed Muizzu’s tilt towards China and away from India, the luxury tourism hotspot’s traditional benefactor.

Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the strategic Indian Ocean island nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot.

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by Agence France-Presse

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