The Maldives may be a small country, but it cannot be threatened: President Muiz.

China’s President Xi Jinping recently criticized the Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed Hassan for his opposition to China’s five-day tour. He stated in a press conference that although their country may be small, they cannot be threatened by anyone. These comments by President Xi have further escalated the diplomatic tensions between their country and India. It is worth mentioning that three ministers from the Maldives made derogatory comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. President Xi, as a representative of the Chinese government, did not mention any specific country in his remarks, despite being known for his pro-China stance. In his interaction with the media, the President stated, “Although we have small islands in our maritime territory, we have a vast economic zone of 900,000 square kilometers. The Maldives has a significant portion of this ocean. We do not have any direct concerns with India.”