Maldives might pull out of free trade deal with China: Nasheed

Former president Mohamed Nasheed has warned that the new Maldives government could pull out of the Free Trade Agreement with China.

Nasheed made the comment during an interview with BBC, days after coalition member Ibrahim Mohamed Solih became Maldives’ new president.

The Free Trade Agreement was signed on December 8, 2017, between former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during the former's four-day visit to Beijing.

"The free trade agreement is very one-sided... the numbers don't match," ex-president Mohamed Nasheed told the BBC. Nasheed added that the parliament will not approve the law required for the trade deal to come into force.

Nasheed had earlier warned of China’s alleged aim to enslave the Maldives, following the debt to the world power over the funding of mega development projects during former President Yameen’s regime.

"An emerging power in the Indian Ocean has its eyes firmly fixed on the Maldives. Yes. I'm talking about China. If the Maldivian people fail to heed the threat, history would repeat itself by the middle of this century," Nasheed had stated during a video call at a major rally of the opposition coalition.

China has provided aid to fund several major infrastructure projects, including the landmark Sinamale bridge connecting capital city Male to the airport island Hulhule and reclaimed suburb Hulhumale