New leader takes charge of Maldives

Maldives' President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has taken the oath of office, seeking help from India and the United States to climb out from under a mountain of Chinese debt that his predecessor racked up in a breakneck development of the coral islands.

The surprise defeat of pro-China strongman Abdulla Yameen has opened a window for India, the strategic outpost's traditional political partner, to regain ground lost to Beijing in their tussle for regional dominance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the highest ranking visitor at the inauguration at the national soccer stadium in the capital Male. By contrast, China's highest-ranking attendee was Culture and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang.

"I will convey to the new Maldivian government ... the desire of my government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity and human resource development," the Indian prime minister said in a post on Facebook.

Modi's presence signals the end of years of frosty relations because of Yameen's embrace of China, a relationship that had deepened India's anxieties about being encircled by countries leaning towards Beijing.

The low-key Solih, a veteran lawmaker, has promised an "India first" policy in the Maldives, saying the small nation of a little over 400,000 people needs solid ties with its immediate neighbour.

His team is also reviewing millions of dollars of investments from China, as well as the related debt that the country has run up from Chinese lenders and how to restructure it.

He said the team had already reached out to India, the United States and Saudi Arabia for financial assistance so it could tackle the debt.

Sensing an opportunity, India has told Solih's team it stands ready to help, Indian government officials in New Delhi and Maldivian authorities in Male said.

India has had a long standing defence cooperation agreement with the Maldives, providing coastal security and patrols of its exclusive economic zone.

A diplomatic source said the United States was also set to increase its engagement with the Maldives.  But China remains a big player, given the investments by its state companies and as Chinese tourists pour in. That means the relationship is unlikely to completely unravel.

Between January to October this year, 247,911 Chinese tourists arrived, accounting for a fifth of all visitors. India, which is much closer geographically, provided just 5 percent.