President Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives is in talks for a bilateral visit to China, becoming the first democratically elected Maldivian president to visit China before India. In a break from tradition, previous Maldivian presidents had chosen India as their first stop. Muizzu's visit to Turkey was seen as a signal for the Maldives' independence from India and China. China wasted no time in inviting Muizzu after his pro-India predecessor, Ibrahim Solih, left office. It is unclear if Muizzu has received a similar invite from India.