The Chinese foreign ministry said that China has no plans to build military bases on the Maldives, after the Maldives allowed foreigners to own land despite opposition concern the reform could be used for military expansion by China.
Maldives passed legislation last week to allow foreigners to own land within a project site on condition at least 70 percent of the area is reclaimed from the sea.
China's Foreign Ministry said the vote was an internal matter for the Maldives, but that China wanted good relations with the country, citing that China "has always respected and supported the Maldives' efforts to maintain its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity", the ministry said.
India, which traditionally has strong ties with the Maldives and Sri Lanka, has been concerned about China's growing involvement in the Indian Ocean as it opens its purse strings and builds a network of ports dubbed the String of Pearls.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said the bill could give "unprecedented access to foreign parties to operate in the Maldives". One party member said the government was facilitating a more robust Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean.
Vice President Ahmed Adeeb had responded to the allegations, citing that the opposition was threatened by the unprecedented development the government was working to usher in. He stated that the rumors were perpetrated by those who had little regard for the future of the nation. Adeeb said that the Government had no plans to sell land plots to certain parties, but rather to usher in investment for mega projects.
No interest in building a naval base in Maldives: Chinese Foreign Ministry
