Recently, the decision by Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu to sign a military pact with China garnered significant attention. Generals from the PLA visited Male to finalise the deal. Interestingly, besides Maldives, the PLA delegation also visited Sri Lanka and Nepal. Beijing aims to strengthen ties in South Asia to counter India's influence strategically. Last week, the Maldives announced signing a "military assistance" agreement with China, prompting the withdrawal of Indian troops from the strategically-positioned archipelago. The Chinese military stated on its official WeChat account that discussions in all three countries revolved around military relations and regional security concerns. The delegation from the military's international cooperation department engaged in detailed talks to enhance bilateral defence cooperation. Palki Sharma tells you more.