Maldives: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed departed for China on Sunday night, marking the beginning of a state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip comes against the backdrop of a diplomatic row with India, the Maldives’ closest neighbour and a significant source of tourism.
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President Muizzu, who gained power riding his ‘Out India’ campaign, suspended three deputy ministers—Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid— following derogatory comments posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promotion of India’s Lakshadweep archipelago for tourism.
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Some viewed his visit as trying to draw tourists away from the globally popular Maldives, whose 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean are dotted with luxury resorts.
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“The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives,” said the Maldives Foreign Ministry in response to the controversial social media posts.
