India should be alert about proximity of Maldives to China: Shashi Tharoor
India should certainly be alert about the proximity of Maldives to China and the government must be aware of the danger that this represents, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said here on Sunday. China has been attempting to expand its influence throughout India's periphery, he said at the 54th annual day of 'Thuglak' magazine here.
Commenting on his views on the Maldives-India diplomatic row after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep islands, Tharoor said, «we have to watch very carefully the increasing proximity of the Maldives government to the Chinese.»
«There is no doubt about the fact that China has been attempting to expand its influence throughout our periphery. They have been increasingly influential in everyone of our neighbouring countries, everyone, without exception,» Tharoor, who had served as the Minister of State for External Affairs, said.
Elaborating, he said, «we (India) should certainly be alert and I am sure that our government must be aware of the dangers that this represents and there will be some redlines which would be privately communicated among governments.»
"...We have to understand is that you (Maldives) have the right to have relations with other countries like we do, but some things we would see as a serious concern for our interests and in those we will take proper action. So far, I think there was no cause for any alarm," he noted.
However, he observed that India's foreign policy should not be discussed in social media and there has to be a more serious level of engagement following the diplomatic row between India and Maldives being widely discussed in various social media platforms.
«We must understand and respect the sensitivities of a small neighbour being close to
