President lauds relations with Maldives

Aerial photo taken on Sept 1, 2019 shows the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in Maldives.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping said on Friday he will work with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to promote the steady progress of bilateral ties and bring more benefits to the two peoples as the leaders exchanged congratulatory messages in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

In his message, Xi said China and the Maldives, which enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, have set a good example of equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes over the past five decades.

In recent years, the two countries have joined hands to tackle challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, deepen Belt and Road cooperation and uphold and promote true multilateralism, Xi said, adding that all these efforts have injected new vigor and opened up new prospects for China-Maldives relations.

Solih said in his message that the relationship between the two countries is established not only on their historical connections, sovereign equality and mutual respect, but also on the solid foundation of Maldives' firm adherence to the one-China principle.

He said China has made huge contributions to the socioeconomic and cultural development of his country and he believes that the bilateral friendship will certainly be further deepened and expanded in the future.

In the early 15th century, the ancient Maritime Silk Road had witnessed trade between China and the Maldives, an archipelago country located in the Indian Ocean.

Last week, as a landmark project of China-Maldives Belt and Road cooperation, Velana International Airport in Maldives launched the first Code-4F runway and a modern seaplane terminal which will improve the airport's ability to receive tourists.