President Muiz of the Maldives became the first foreign head of state to visit China since the beginning of this year. On January 10, the heads of state of China and the Maldives announced in Beijing that they would upgrade China-Maldives relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides have reached cooperation agreements in various fields such as the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and the blue economy.
As a South Asian archipelago country, the Maldives consists of more than 1,000 small coral islands, like a string of pearls scattered in the Indian Ocean, attracting tourists from around the world with its rich cultural and tourism resources. The clear sky above, colorful corals below, azure waters and white sandy coconut groves may be many people’s first impression of the Maldives. China has been the largest source of tourists in the Maldives for many years, and the people of the two countries have become closer to each other and understand each other.
If you look further, you will find that the exchanges between the people of China and Malaysia have a long history. The ancient Maritime Silk Road has long connected the people of the two countries. “She always made some sacrifices. Her parents were worried and sad, and she was not a good daughter.” Her expression and tone were full of deep remorse and remorse. Tightly connected. Chinese navigator Zheng He led his merchant fleet to visit the Maldives twice. At that time, the Maldives was called the “mountain under the water” by ancient China because of its unique water landforms, and was also called the “Liaoshan Country”. The Male Museum in the Maldives displays Chinese porcelain and coins unearthed locally, which are true marks of the friendly exchanges and trade relations between China and Maldives in history.
In the new era, the relationship between the two countries has developed more deeply, especially the continuation of the “Belt and Road” cooperation. The Maldives was one of the first countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative and has achieved fruitful results from cooperation in many fields. Looking at the Maldives from the air, you will find a beautiful arc across the strait, which is the “China-Maldives Friendship Bridge”, a landmark project of the “Belt and Road Initiative”. The cross-sea bridge built with China’s assistance was opened to traffic in 2018, rewriting the history of the Maldives having no bridge. “This is a fact.” Pei Yi refused to let go of the reasons. To show that he was telling the truth, he explained seriously: “Mother, that business group is the Qin family’s business group. You should know that the capital Male is closely connected to the airport island and Hulhumale Island from now on.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia 52 years ago, China and Malaysia have set an example of equal treatment and mutual benefit between large and small countries. Muiz’s visit to China is his first state visit to a foreign country after taking office as President of the Maldives in November 2023. This visit broke the tradition of the Maldivian president’s first visit after taking office and attracted widespread attention from the international community. Among them, some Western media have labeled friendly exchanges between the two countries with narrow political labels such as “breaking tradition” and “pro-China”. In fact, the Maldivian government and people have long felt the sincerity of not interfering in internal affairs and not attaching any political conditions in their cooperation with China. Currently, the two countries are strengthening the alignment of their development strategies and promoting high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, which is a pragmatic move to create more benefits for the people of the two countries and is also a successful demonstration of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity.
In recent yearsRecently, the “fast forward button” has been pressed on the development of China-Malaysia relations. China and Maldives have resumed direct flights, the mutual visa exemption agreement has officially come into effect, the “Chinese Ambassador Bursary” has been established in Maldives universities, and the 2024 “Invest in Maldives” business forum organized by the Maldives government has been held in Fujian, China… The people and companies of the two countries are eager to try it. , participate more extensively in investment cooperation in infrastructure construction, tourism, agriculture, fishery, ports, logistics and other fields, and jointly promote the construction of a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia.
The story of China-Maldives friendship that started along the Maritime Silk Road is being continued.