In response to the Maldives' severe water shortage, China has donated 1,500 tonnes of drinking water sourced from glaciers in Tibet. This donation is part of China's ongoing support to the Maldives since President Dr Mohamed Muizzu took office. The water, known for its cleanliness and mineral richness, was shipped following discussions between Chinese officials and President Muizzu. This aid complements China's previous assistance, including free military equipment and training. The Maldives, facing extreme water scarcity, will distribute the donated water to islands in need.
It’s great that they’re giving the Maldives water. The destruction of fresh-water aquifers on many low-lying islands due to rising seas contaminating them with saltwater, is of course all of our (developed and industrialized countries’) collective fault. It’s unfortunate that they stole it from an occupied territory, though.
As much as I agree that it is the world’s collective responsibility to help, this particular case is, at best, a double-egded sword that appears to deal less with supporting a low-lying island than with geo-politics and a thirst for influence.
Beijing also sought to keep the Maldives, one of its more recent allies, happy with the March delivery of one million bottles of glacial meltwater from colonially occupied Tibet. For years, civil society organizations have highlighted how Tibetan pastoralists are being removed from their traditional lands to facilitate resource exploitation by Chinese companies, including for bottled water.
Extraction of water is reportedly exacerbating environmental degradation and conflict in tandem with a flurry of dam construction that saw major protests earlier this year in Dege County, currently part of China’s Sichuan province. Radio Free Asia revealed on March 25 that hundreds of protesters arrested during that incident have now been released, but not before suffering deprivation of water, overcrowding and sometimes severe beatings in custody. Moreover, the wider picture suggests that not all of the detainees have been set free; some remain unaccounted for; several younger monks have been sent to government schools since the demonstrations; and restrictions on movement in Dege are still in place.
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It’s great that they’re giving the Maldives water. The destruction of fresh-water aquifers on many low-lying islands due to rising seas contaminating them with saltwater, is of course all of our (developed and industrialized countries’) collective fault. It’s unfortunate that they stole it from an occupied territory, though.
As much as I agree that it is the world’s collective responsibility to help, this particular case is, at best, a double-egded sword that appears to deal less with supporting a low-lying island than with geo-politics and a thirst for influence.
One recent comment on exactly this issue:
China and Human Rights: Beijing’s Real Face Fails to Hide as Gifts of Water and Cyberattacks Compete