Maldives-China agreement is to obtain military equipment, to strengthen independence: Presidence

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has revealed last night that the military assistance agreement entered into by Maldives and China concerns getting non-lethal military equipment and military training from China, and added that this would assist in further strengthening Maldives' independence and autonomy.

The Ministry of Defence announced that a military assistance agreement has been signed by Minister of Defence Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon and Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the People's Republic of China, Major General Zhang Baoqun. However, no additional details about the agreement had so far been released.

Speaking in the meeting with residents of Dhaalu atoll Meedhoo in his ongoing trip to the atoll, the President shared some details of the agreement last night.

The President said that China and Maldives had always maintained military cooperation, and that the only new development with this agreement is the assistance Maldives will be receiving to strengthen its military capacity.

"To obtain the different forms of training required by the Maldives' military, and to be granted various non-lethal military equipment free of charge, that is what this agreement is about. This will increase the technical capacity of the defence forces," the President explained.

"We will then be able to further strengthen the defence forces. These things are being done so that we can stand on our own two feet, so that we can have our autonomy and independence."

While President Dr Muizzu's administration has entered into this military agreement with China, the former MDP government signed several such military agreements with the government of India. Those signings gave rise to strong criticism and protest from then opposition and now ruling parties.

Maldives-China sign military assistance agreement

The Edition