Maldivian opposition protestors shout slogans demanding the release of political prisoners during a protest in Male, Maldives, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Supporters of political parties that oppose the Maldives government have clashed with police on the streets of the capital after the country’s supreme court ordered the release of imprisoned politicians. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan) Maldivian opposition protestors shout slogans demanding the release of political prisoners during a protest in Male, Maldives, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Supporters of political parties that oppose the Maldives government have clashed with police on the streets of the capital after the country’s supreme court ordered the release of imprisoned politicians. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

In yet another editorial aimed at New Delhi, China’s state-run Global Times warned that Beijing will take ‘necessary measures to stop India if it intervenes militarily in The Maldives’. In the editorial titled ‘Unauthorized military intervention in Malé must be stopped’, the state-run media said, “Facing the tense situation in Malé, India should exercise restraint. The Maldives is trapped in turmoil. This is the country’s internal affairs and China firmly opposes outside interference. More than that, China should take necessary measures to stop India if New Delhi moves to intervene militarily.” The state-run Global Times is run by the Communist Party of China and is considered to often reflect Beijing’s views.

The second op-ed comes a few days after The Global Times had on February 7 published another op-ed titled ‘India must stop intervening in Malé’ telling New Delhi to not intervene in Male’s affairs. Also Read: India must stop intervening in Male, Maldives under huge pressure from New Delhi: Chinese state media

The latest editorial accused India of ‘publicly and immodestly’ discussing whether to interfere in Male’s domestic affairs and advised against any ‘unilateral military interference’. “China is not fighting the concept of India’s sphere of influence. Some Indians are pondering a military intervention. However, it does not accord with basic norms governing international relations, which includes respecting other countries’ sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of other states. If the situation in the Maldives deteriorates, solutions should be made using international mechanisms. Unilateral military interference has already jeopardized the current global order,” the editorial stated. Also Read: Modi, Trump discuss Maldives; China says in touch with India, don’t want new flashpoint

Citing the November 1988 military coup in Male, which New Delhi responded to by sending troops to the island country on the request of the then Maldivian president Abdul Gayoom, the editorial said, “The Maldives’ dependence on India for security since then has made New Delhi grow arrogant and bring Malé into its sphere of influence. But Malé is tired of New Delhi, which at all times tries to dominate Maldives’ politics.” Also Read: Indian journalist and another scribe ordered to leave Maldives

Male, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into fresh chaos when the Supreme Court ordered the release of nine imprisoned Opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were “politically motivated and flawed”.

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