BEIJING: India is a brother, but China is like a long lost cousin found, Maldives ambassador to China Mohamed Faisal has said, asserting that his country would push ahead with Chinese projects despite Delhi’s concerns.
The Maldives will further embrace Chinese investment but is aware it risks getting caught between China and India, Faisal told the South China Morning Post. “China is like a long-lost cousin that we have found, a longlost cousin who is willing to help us,” he said on Thursday.
“India is a brother. We are a family, we may quarrel and we may have arguments but in the end, we will sit down and resolve it,” the diplomat said.
He claimed that the Maldives has taken a number of projects to India for finance “but we did not receive the necessary finance”. China, which looks at Maldives as a major participant in its 21st century Maritime Silk Road plan in the Indian Ocean, has made heavy investments in the nation.
China has put up a defence of Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, stonewalling international pressure and enabling him to stay in power during the current crisis. The nation was plunged into chaos early last month when the Supreme Court called for the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians.
The government refused to implement the ruling and Yameen imposed a state of emergency.
