China to further promote ties with Maldives: Chinese FM

NEW YORK -- Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Monday met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York, during which Wang expressed China's willingness to continuously promote bilateral relations to new levels.

Conveying Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Muizzu at the start of the meeting, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted the fact that China and the Maldives are friendly neighbors across the Indian Ocean, recalling the successful state visit by Muizzu to China in January.

During the state visit, the heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and the two countries will work together to build a community with a shared future, Wang said.

Thanks to the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and the Maldives have conducted close exchanges at all levels and promoted practical cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the Maldivian people, Wang said.

China and the Maldives have always understood, trusted and supported each other despite the many uncertainties in the region and around the world, and the development of bilateral ties have remained steady and healthy, Wang said.

China, Wang told Muizzu, is willing to work with the Maldivian side to thoroughly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and continuously promote the China-Maldives relations to new levels.

China's development will enhance the force for peace in the world and augment the strength of developing countries, and will hence bring new opportunities for developing countries like the Maldives, Wang said.

China-Maldives relations have become an example of countries large and small treating each other equally, helping and supporting each other, and striving for mutual benefits and win-win results, Wang said, adding that it is the wish of China to carry forward its traditional friendship with the Maldives and march alongside the Maldives at the forefront of the endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China will always support the Maldives' effort to protect its sovereignty independence, territorial integrity and national dignity, and support the Maldives' search for a development path that suits the country's reality, Wang said.

Wang mentioned in particular the development of small island countries, saying that China is willing to lend a helping hand through the Chinese proposal known as the Global Development Initiative, meanwhile coping with challenges such as climate change together with small island countries.

Muizzu, for his part, asked Wang to convey his best regards to President Xi, expressing his warm congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding the People's Republic of China.

Muizzu said his historic state visit to China in January was not only a total success that injected vigor into the development of Maldives-China relations, but also a personal honor for himself, as he was the first foreign head of state invited to China by President Xi this year.

The Maldives, Muizzu stressed, firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports a series of prominent international cooperation initiatives proposed by the Chinese president.

Noting the visits by multiple Maldivian ministers to China since the start of this year and the smooth cooperation between the two countries, Muizzu said the Maldivian government and people wholeheartedly thank China for its selfless assistance in the economic and social development of the Maldives.

The Maldives looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of finance, housing, agriculture, infrastructure and tourism, and promoting greater development of bilateral relations.