Athens, March 13 -- The Maldives is grappling with a mounting debt crisis that threatens its economic sovereignty, as foreign exchange reserves dwindle to precarious levels while substantial debt repayments loom.

According to an article by human rights advocate and freelance journalist Dimitra Staikou on Medium, China's lending practices and trade policies have significantly accelerated the island nation's financial deterioration.

"The scale of the debt problem is staggering. The Maldives' total debt stock has ballooned from USD 3 billion in 2018 to USD 8.2 billion as of March 2024, with projections indicating a further increase to more than USD 11 billion by 2029. Of the current debt, USD 3.4 billion is external, with China and India b...