The Presidents Office has announced China’s decision to lend 100 million Yuan (around MVR250 million or US$16 million) as free aid to the Maldives.
The agreement was signed yesterday (August 16), after President Abdullah Yameen departed on an official visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, and to hold discussions with Chinese President, Xi Jinping.
In addition, an agreement was made to provide the Maldives Police Service with 150 motorcycles.
According to the statement, the grant aid is to be used for developmental projects in the Maldives.
At separate meetings held on Saturday afternoon, discussions were focused on the investment opportunities in Maldives, and the mega development projects proposed by the government.
Furthermore, Yameen met officials from Tuniu, one of China’s top travel agencies, and attended a lunch hosted by the group.
China Bridge
During the discussion on Saturday, Xi also conveyed his government’s commitment to propel bilateral relations with the Maldives onto a higher plane.
In addition, Yameen outlined the key developmental projects envisaged for commencement in the time ahead, and emphasised that no project is as important or pertinent as the Male-Hulhulé bridge.
Yameen expressed his satisfaction that the interest of corporate China towards the bridge project and other key economic manifesto projects. He went on to note that he desired in time, for the new bridge to be known as the “China Bridge” to symbolise the friendly ties between the two countries.
Xi thanked Yameen for briefing him on his economic agenda and assured that he would alert Chinese authorities to collaborate closely with the Maldives in ensuring the key development projects, including the bridge can be implemented with due urgency.
Silk Road
Yameen noted that the Maldives had always been a standing supporter of the one-China policy and the Five Principals of Peaceful Coexistence governing relations between states. He also commended President Xi on his 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
In return, Xi noted that the Maldives would feature among the countries that are included within the Silk Road sphere.
Referring to the Chinese ‘New Silk Road’ project, Yameen told reporters prior to the trip that the government was “very interested” in participating in the initiative.
Yameen also revealed that a number of bilateral agreements would be signed during the visit, including a framework agreement on trade assistance, while Chinese assistance in providing police vehicles would be “formalised”.
Chinese news agency Xinhua reported yesterday that China’s maritime ‘Silk Route’ would pass through the Ihavandhippolhu Integrated Development Project – or ‘iHavan’ – in the northernmost atoll in the Maldives.
“The design of the project seeks to capitalise on the location of the atoll, which lies on the seven-degree channel through which the main East-West shipping routes connecting Southeast Asia and China to the Middle East and Europe,” reported Xinhua.
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If this was done in Nasheed's time, you'd see a large protest, because China loves to play "Mess with muslim natives" a lot.
Cost of Bridge: $300 million.
Grant aid from China for Development Projects: $16 million.
Do your maths. Is the Male bridge the most pressing issue for the country? Clearly, China doesn't think so. Where will those $16 million be spent on? Not for "budget support" one would hope!
Yes, the Male or China bridge is not a particularly critical project for the country at the present time. There are far more pressing issues that need to be addressed before that.
One of the best things the present government can do is to reduce its size and therefore free up liquidity that can be fed into small businesses throughout the country. Small and medium scale enterprises are the lifeblood of the economy.
this 16 million was not for bridge and it was grant aid .
We have never got a such grant during gnashed regime from any country and we have always taken loans at commercial interest as a budget support.
This is the difference between Yameen and Nasheed. yameen does not take huge loans as a commercial loans and he knows what is best for the country and finical cost of the loans will be much less if he takes a loan for the country development .
Bridge will be build and people will see the start of teh construction of this bridge in 2015.
I am sure when it is started, yellow fevor guys will start saying , the bridge is getting build with sub quality material and it will not get completed in 100 years even.
This is great news for us Indians as it will mean fewer "can we have some more aid please" trips by your president to New Delhi. Your ingratitude to the Chinese people is apparent from the comments above. Is ungratefulness a national characteristic of Maldivians I wonder?
The next step is for your president to ask for university seats and hospital beds in China for your dumb and sick. That way you will not clog up the system in my country and there will be no more queues around our Male embassy.
In case you are not aware, the Chinese government forbids its muslim Uighur people from travelling to Mecca for Haj and discourages fasting at Ramadan. So no more rampages through Male to 'save islam', no beheadings for blasphemy and apostasy and definitely no more public floggings for fornicators.
Welcome to the Maldives an Administered State of China
Before the global warming is going to swallow Maldives , the dragon is going to do so, I suggest with the aid please buy land in south America or the artic and start moving the innocent people there, trust me the dragon is going burn your Baltz
And left with nothing.