Amid row with India, Maldives to receive free military assistance from China

Only a few weeks after President Mohamed Muizzu set a date for the departure of the first contingent of Indian military personnel from his island nation, China inked a defense cooperation agreement with the Maldives on Monday, offering free military aid to promote “stronger” bilateral ties.

Major General Zhang Baoqun, Deputy Director of China’s Office for International Military Cooperation, met Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, the Maldives’ Minister of Defense, to talk about strengthening defense cooperation between the two nations.

The Maldivian defense ministry stated on its X account that Maumoon and Major General Baoqun “signed an agreement on China’s provision of military assistance gratis to the Republic of Maldives, fostering stronger bilateral ties”.

The details of the defence cooperation agreement were not made available. According to media reports, China has also given the Maldives twelve environmentally efficient ambulances.