Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW DELHI (AP) — As a political crisis plays out in the Maldives, a quiet tug of war is taking place around it, with heavyweights China and India vying for strategic dominance in the picturesque Indian Ocean nation.
At first glance, Beijing and New Delhi want no part in the turmoil that erupted when the country's Supreme Court overturned the convictions of several opposition politicians, including the president's main rival, who appealed to India, the island-nation's traditional benefactor, to send troops to end the crisis.
China saw it as an opening to shore up its backing for the Maldives president.
China is already the Maldives primary source of tourists, whose spending largely drives the economy, and Beijing is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in an airport expansion, housing development and other projects.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
