First meeting on Chinese tourist safety held

The first convening of the ‘Joint Meeting Mechanism’ to discuss the safety and security of Chinese tourists in the Maldives has been held between foreign minister Dunya Maumoon and Chinese Ambassador Wang Fukang.

Dunya spoke of the importance of strengthening tourism ties between China and the Maldives and stressed the significance of the joint mechanism to facilitate a line of communication regarding the safety of Chinese tourists, reported the foreign ministry.

“Ambassador Wang Fukang thanked the Government of Maldives for the coordination and cooperation extended in ensuring a safe environment to the Chinese tourists in the Maldives,” the statement read.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Maldivian foreign service and the embassy of China, along with representatives from the tourism ministry, the immigration department, the police, the Maldives Customs Service, as well as relevant tourism industry groups.

The joint mechanism was agreed under an MoU signed during Chinese President Xi Jinpeng’s official visit to the Maldives in September 2014, during which President Abdulla Yameen expressed his hope Chinese visitors would increase three-fold over the next four years – which would mean nearly one million Chinese visitors a year.

While one Chinese tourist was killed in a motorcycle collision in the capital last year, the majority of casualties are related to water sports – most often drowning.

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