Ex-Maldives leader urges voters to stop China ’buying up our sovereignty’

The exiled former leader of the Maldives has said this year’s presidential election could be the last chance to extricate his country from increasing Chinese influence, which he described as a land grab in the guise of investments in island development.

The exiled former leader of the Maldives has said this year’s presidential election could be the last chance to extricate his country from increasing Chinese influence, which he described as a land grab in the guise of investments in island development.

Mohamed Nasheed told reporters in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo that current President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has opened the doors to Chinese investment without any regard for procedure or transparency.