Money and economic power is the best power.
No use of helping them when the next coup takes place or drinking water runs out on the island.
The Maldives has amended its national constitution to allow foreign ownership of land, which may pave the way for China to build a military base on the archipelago.
The Indian Express reported that the amendment, which was submitted by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives and passed through parliament on Wednesday, will allow foreigners who invest more than US$1 billion to purchase land within a specified project site. At least 70% of the area of the completed project must be reclaimed land.
Previously, the Maldives constitution prohibited foreign ownership of land but allowed for leases of up to 99 years.The Maldives government stated that the amendment was necessary to reduce the country's reliance on tourism and "transform" the economy by allowing for large-scale foreign investments and "mega projects."
New Delhi is said to be very concerned by the development given that the Maldives, which sits southwest of India, possesses key military and transportation positions in the Indian Ocean. Experts have indicated that the amendment may have removed the final obstacle for China to build a military base on the island nation, which could soon become a new strategic battleground for Beijing and New Delhi.
India's relationship with the current Maldives government has been strained since the arrest and imprisonment of former president Mohammad Nasheed, which prompted Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to cancel his trip to the island nation four months ago.
China and the Maldives have traditionally enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations and appear to be going from strength to strength. The Indian Express claims that the strategy of the Maldives government is clearly leaning towards China and has become more obvious since Xi's visit last year, suggesting that the Maldives has become a willing partner in Xi's ambitious "Belt and Road" initiative to boost connectivity and cooperation among countries across Eurasia.
Maldives MPs who voted against the amendment reportedly also expressed concern over "possible Chinese military expansion" in their country. What allegedly alarmed New Delhi even more was the speed with which the amendments passed, given that the bill was only submitted on Monday and was sent to review on Tuesday night.
"The parliamentary panel reviewed and approved the bill within just one hour... that raises alarm bells," a source told the Indian Express, adding that the legislative process in the Maldives used to take weeks or even months until new rules were introduced recently.
China owning land in the Maldives, regardless of whether it is used for military purposes, will have a strong deterrent effect on India and provide a boost to China's Southeast Asia strategies, according to Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet.
Reports that China intends to build a military base in the Maldives have circulated online since last year. In January this year, however, the Chinese embassy in the Maldives, which was set up in November 2011, denied claims that the Maldives government was planning to give land to China for a military base, dismissing the allegations as "completely false."
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