Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who won the Maldives presidential election last month, is wasting no time in asking India to get its troops out of the country, the BBC reported.
The president-elect, who is due to be sworn in later in November, told the BBC in an exclusive interview that he met the Indian ambassador a few days after his victory and "told him very clearly that every single Indian military personnel here should be removed".
The Maldives has long been under India's sphere of influence and Mr Muizzu's demand is likely to trigger diplomatic tensions between Malé and Delhi.
In fact, when Mr Muizzu won the Maldives presidential poll, that was seen as a setback for India - especially as his opponent, the incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih - had drawn his country closer to Delhi since taking over in 2018.
The alliance backing Mr Muizzu portrayed this relationship - strengthened by Mr Solih's India-first policy - as a threat to the Maldives' sovereignty and security.
Mr Muizzu's alliance favours closer ties with China, which has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Maldives in the form of loans and grants for infrastructure and development projects.
But India, which wants a foothold in the strategically located islands to monitor a key part of the Indian Ocean, has also provided about $2bn in development assistance to the country.
If its troops are forced to leave, it will be a blow for Delhi.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping also weighed in, saying he attached "great importance to the development of bilateral relations and stands ready to work with President-elect Muizzu to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation".
Mr Muizzu has also spoken highly of Chinese infrastructure projects in the Maldives, saying the investments had transformed Malé city and brought benefits to its residents.
However, he has denied being a "pro-China" candidate as opposed to the "pro-India" Mr Solih.
"I am a pro-Maldives person. For me, Maldives comes first, our independence comes first" he said. "I am not pro or against any country."
Despite this, however, his opposition alliance includes the party of former president Abdulla Yameen who was instrumental in moving the Maldives closer to China.
When India and Western lenders were not willing to offer loans to Yameen's administration due to allegations of human rights violations, Yameen - who is currently serving a 11-year prison sentence for corruption - turned to Beijing who offered him the money without any conditions.
He then joined President Xi's Belt and Road Initiative - which aims to build road, rail and sea links between China and the rest of the world.
