Amid the India-Maldives row, China has stated that it has never asked the Maldives to reject India and views cooperation between the two countries as friendly. China is also open to trilateral cooperation between China, India, and the Maldives. The Chinese state media addressed the situation in an editorial as Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu visited Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. The editorial emphasized the need for an open-minded perspective on South Asian issues.