In a statement on March 13, China's Ministry of National Defense said the delegation from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) held "in-depth discussions" on bilateral defense cooperation and reached various "consensuses" during the visit from March 4 to 13, according to Reuters.
The discussions also focused on a range of regional and security issues, "enriching the content of defense cooperation" between China and the three South Asian countries, the statement said.
Chinese Army
Relations between Beijing and New Delhi have become more strained in recent months, stemming from a border dispute as well as Chinese survey ships entering the Indian Ocean.
On March 12, New Delhi rejected China's objection to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Arunachal Pradesh region in the eastern Himalayas, which Beijing claims as part of southern Tibet.
New Delhi has been wary of China's push to boost ties with countries in the Indian Ocean since the world's second-largest economy reopened after three years of strict anti-pandemic policies.
China upgraded its relationship with the Maldives this year after President Mohamed Muizzu was elected in the island nation and chose Beijing for his first state visit. Muizzu has pledged to eliminate India’s military presence, which consists of about 75 troops, in the Maldives.
The Maldives Ministry of Defense announced on March 5 that Male and Beijing had signed an "agreement on China providing military support", revealing that the agreement was "free of charge" but did not provide further details, according to AFP.
Beijing’s interest in the Indian Ocean is also commercial. Half of China’s oil imports pass through the region, according to Reuters.
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