China deepens bilateral defence ties with Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal

A Chinese military delegation on Wednesday wrapped up a visit to three of India's closest neighbours - the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal - to boost bilateral defence ties, deepening relations in a region that New Delhi considers its sphere of influence.
 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation held "in-depth discussions" on bilateral defence cooperation and reached various points of "consensus" during a visit from March 4 to 13, China's defence ministry said in a statement, without elaborating.
 

The talks also focused on regional and security issues, the statement said, adding it "enriched the content of defence cooperation" between China and the three countries.

 

Ties between Beijing and New Delhi have grown more tense in recent months, strained by disputes over how their borders should be drawn to the passage of Chinese survey vessels in the Indian Ocean. In 2020, relations nosedived after 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed during a border skirmish.
 

On Tuesday, India rejected Chinese objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's weekend visit to Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas, which China claims to be a part of southern Tibet.
 

Adding to India's unease, China has been trying to boost ties with nations in the Indian Ocean since the world's second-biggest economy reopened its borders after three years of self-imposed pandemic curbs.
 

China this year elevated ties with the Maldives when its newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu pivoted from India and paid his first state visit to Beijing after winning on on "India Out" campaign platform, vowing to remove a small Indian military presence of about 75 personnel from the island nation.
 

China would provide it with "military assistance", a media report cited the Maldivian defence ministry as saying earlier this month.

Beijing's interest in the Indian Ocean is also commercial.
 

Half of its oil imports pass through the region.