India-Maldives row: Why does Maldives want Indian troops out | Explainer

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Male sets deadline for Indian troops' withdrawal, EAM says ‘cannot guarantee…' India's government has traditionally considered the Maldives, home to around half a million people, to be within its sphere of influence. China and the Maldives upgraded their relationship during Muizzu's first state visit to Beijing last week by agreeing to a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" that sets the stage for the Asian giant to up its investments in the Maldives.

‘India should be…’: Shashi Tharoor on growing proximity between Maldives, China The Maldives owes China $1.37 billion, or around 20% of its public debt, according to World Bank data. The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighbourhood First policy.

The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in its initiatives like SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First Policy' of the Modi government. Maldives sets 15 March deadline for India to pull out its troops The Maldives' proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean gives it significant strategic importance.

India-Maldives row: President Muizzu says ‘no one has license to bully us’ India operates and maintains radars, helicopters, and aircraft in the Maldives, some of which are used for medical evacuations. The Indian Navy also patrols Indian Ocean waters.

Currently, there are around 70 Indian military personnel in the Maldives. As many as 24 military personnel manage the first helicopter, 25 personnel manage