China tells India to calm down after Maldives trade deal
The Global Times said China remained the largest source of tourists for the Maldives and that there was no “political intrigue” to the Free Trade Agreement.
04 Dec 2017, 9:00 AM
India will “do nothing but upset itself” if it tries to prevent closer trade ties between China and the Maldives, Beijing state media has said, days after the tiny island nation approved a deal with the world’s second biggest economy.
The Free Trade Agreement has reportedly stunned New Delhi into silence, but the Global Times said China was the largest source of tourists for the Maldives and denied there was any “political intrigue” to the deal.
“It is understandable that the Maldivian government resorts to signing an FTA to further attract Chinese tourists by making inexpensive Chinese goods such as instant noodles available on the Maldivian market,” read the op-ed published late Sunday.
Formal negotiations for the FTA commenced in late 2015 and concluded last September. According to the Chinese ministry of commerce, the two countries would reduce tariffs of over 95 percent of goods to zero and commit “to opening the service market such as finance, healthcare and tourism and agreed to cooperate practically in key areas.”
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