BEIJING: China pledged on Thursday to extend funding for infrastructure in the Maldives, after it upgraded ties with the strategic Indian Ocean archipelago. With Beijing and New Delhi tussling for influence, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was elected in September after pledging to cultivate “strong ties” with China and eject Indian troops. Muizzu embarked this week on his first state visit to China — the Maldives’ largest external creditor — and on Thursday, the two sides issued a joint communique detailing the “broad consensus” reached by their two leaders. China vowed to “continue to provide support within its capacity to the Maldives side in areas of priority concern”, the statement published on state broadcaster CCTV said. That included “infrastructure construction, medical…
