Maldives president meets Chinese FM to deepen bilateral cooperation

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Maldives on Jan. 10, 2025. The meeting was held during Wang's stopover in the Maldives on his way back from Africa. (Xinhua/Che Hongliang)

MALE, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, with both sides vowing to deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

The meeting was held during Wang's stopover in the Maldives on his way back from Africa. Wang is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Muizzu recalled his successful state visit to China last year and said the two countries have always treated each other with understanding and sincerity.

The two sides have maintained close high-level exchanges and achieved fruitful cooperation, said the president, adding that he was glad to see that China has become the largest source of tourists for the Maldives.

The Maldives is willing to always be China's closest partner, continuously consolidate their traditional friendship, strengthen cooperation in various fields, and push for greater development of bilateral relations, said the president.

The Maldives appreciates China's leadership in safeguarding world peace and stability and is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China in international and regional affairs to jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, Muizzu said.

For his part, Wang said that Muizzu's successful state visit to China was a highlight moment in China-Maldives relations. During the visit last year, the two heads of state agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly commit to building a China-Maldives community with a shared future, which has laid out broad prospects for bilateral relations.

China-Maldives cooperation has set a good example of mutual respect, equal treatment and common development between big and small countries. China appreciates the Maldivian president and government for firmly pursuing a friendly policy towards China and firmly abiding by the one-China principle, said Wang.

China will, as always, support the Maldives in safeguarding national independence and sovereignty and actively explore a development path suited to its national conditions, Wang said.