China, which has ‘generously’ donated 1,500 tonnes of bottled drinking water from Tibet to the Maldives, has been accused of trying to ‘buy’ the Maldives. International critics and analysts question Beijing’s motivations in the gesture of support.
Maldives’ state-run television station Public Service Media reported last week that “China’s Jichang Autonomous Region has generously donated 1,500 tons of water. [sensivelmente 1,5 milhões de garrafas de água) de um litro potável às Maldivas, com o objetivo de aliviar as escassezes de água nas ilhas”.
Logo após o anúncio, que não foi feito por nenhum rosto governamental, alguns utilizadores das redes sociais das manifestaram dúvidas, sugerindo que a doação de água poderia ser destinada ao uso pessoal do Presidente das Maldivas, Mohamed Muizzu. “Não foi anunciado oficialmente porque Muizzu queria usar isto em Muleeaage [a residência oficial do presidente das Maldivas]”, commented a local user on a Twitter-like site.
When Newsweek reached out for clarification, the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, said it was unaware of the “specific details2” and declined to comment on the case.
As the story dragged on, the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained silent on the matter.
President Muisu, who took office last year, has distanced the Maldives from its traditionally strong ties with India and moved increasingly closer to China. The strategic shift has attracted the attention of the United States, which has been monitoring Beijing’s growing influence in the Maldives, which is strategically positioned at the crossroads of crucial Indian Ocean waterways linking the Middle East and Africa.
Contrary to speculation, the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any personal connection between the donation and President Muisu. AFP reported on March 29 that the ministry clarified that Yan Jinhai, head of the Tibet Autonomous Region, had donated the drinking water, stressing that it was not a personal gift to the Maldivian president.
Yan Jinhai, the senior Chinese politician in charge of Tibet, will visit the Maldivian capital Malé in November 2023 with a view to strengthening bilateral ties, which was confirmed by the Maldivian President’s office last year.
Highlighting the appearance of the donated bottled water, Maldives state television station Public Service Media reported: “Made in the pristine mountains of Jichang Autonomous Region, the donation of bottled water represents a gesture of solidarity and support from China to the Maldives. in times of necessity.”
Recognizing the geopolitical importance of the Maldives, the United States opened its first embassy in the country in 2023. US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Donald Lew told Press Trust, highlighting the importance of the Maldives in the Indo-Pacific region. India in February: “The United States is committed to strengthening cooperation with the Maldives, a key partner in ensuring a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
Sustainable water solutions are urgently needed for the Maldives, which faces a worsening freshwater shortage caused by climate change and sea level rise. Former Maldives Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Abdullah Nasir, highlighted the country’s vulnerability during a March 2023 speech at the United Nations. “The only natural water sources are rainfall and groundwater, both of which are highly vulnerable to climate change. Change”, he warned then.
In an effort to address persistent drinking water shortages, China previously donated five seawater desalination systems to the Maldives, Chinese state newspaper China Daily reported in mid-March this year.
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