To increase its influence in Indian Ocean Region, China will host the second IORF Meeting

This week, China will host the second meeting of the Indian Ocean Region Forum, an effort that aims to unite many nations in the area and strengthen China's influence over the vital waterways that border India.

Last year, the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), a branch of the ruling Communist Party of China's Leadership Group, hosted the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation (CIORFDC) in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China.

Luo Zhaohui, a former vice foreign minister and ambassador to India, is in charge of CIDCA.

According to the CIDCA, 19 nations attended the meeting, including Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, and Australia.

Later, Australia and the Maldives said they wouldn't be taking part. India was not invited to the summit.

The Chinese forum believes to be an effort to counter India's significant influence in the Indian Ocean region, where 23-nation organizations backed by India, such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), have taken strong roots.

China is one of the discussion partners of the 1997-founded IORA.

In addition to IORA, Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was the initiative put up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to encourage active collaboration between the littoral nations of the Indian Ocean region.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), supported by the Indian Navy, aims to promote maritime cooperation between the region's navies.

Although there isn't a formal announcement regarding this year's meeting here, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef of the Maldives will participate in the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation and have discussions with Chinese officials, according to a press release issued by the Maldives Presidential Office.

The former administration of the Maldives, led by Ibrahim Mohammad Solih, abstained from the Forum conference last year in favor of an India-first strategy.

The Maldives' political landscape is currently unclear because newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu wants to pursue his own international and internal policies and has a falling out with former pro-China President Abdulla Yameen shortly after taking office in September.

China completed significant infrastructure projects during Yameen's presidency despite claims of debt traps made by certain powerful Maldivian politicians.

Yameen, who is imprisoned at the moment for corruption, left the People's National Front (PNC), the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), and started his own political party from there in order to challenge Muizzu.