Sun Aug 31 16:21:20 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, written from an Indian perspective and incorporating the context of the other mentioned columns:
**Xi Jinping Courts Maldives at SCO Summit, Pushes for FTA Implementation**
**Tianjin, China – August 31, 2025** – In a move watched closely from New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Tianjin today on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. Xi urged the effective implementation of the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a deepening of bilateral ties.
The meeting, highlighted on *The Hindu’s* world affairs section, “The View From India,” comes after a year of fluctuating diplomatic relations between the Maldives and both China and India.
Xi specifically called for strengthened cooperation in key sectors like fisheries, marine scientific research, environmental protection, and disaster prevention. Muizzu reciprocated, expressing the Maldives’ desire for expanded collaboration in trade, investment, housing construction, and tourism, also signaling intent to collaborate in multilateral mechanisms.
This meeting marks Muizzu’s second visit to China, following his January 2024 trip where his “India Out” campaign dominated headlines. As *The Hindu* reported then, Muizzu campaigned on removing Indian military personnel from the Maldives. The subsequent months saw a complex diplomatic dance, culminating in India replacing military personnel with civilians and providing significant economic assistance, easing the Maldives’ forex concerns. Muizzu also attended Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in June of this year.
Observers in India are analyzing the implications of this renewed focus on the FTA, particularly in light of India’s own economic ties with the Maldives. The *Data Point* column would likely dissect the trade figures and potential impact on the Indian Ocean region. Furthermore, discussions on fisheries and marine research will be followed by *Science For All* and *Health Matters* in terms of environmental impacts and impacts on the health.
The *First Day First Show* section may cover any cultural or tourism deals announced during the summit, while *Today’s Cache* could delve into the technological aspects of the proposed cooperation. The *The Hindu On Books* section may give a look at newly launched books on foreign affairs from both the countries.
The interaction underscores the ongoing strategic competition in the Indian Ocean and the Maldives’ delicate balancing act between its relationships with China and India.
First Piper 