Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive in the Maldives on an official state visit next week in the first ever trip to the country by a Chinese head of state.
“During his stay in the Maldives, President Xi will be officially meeting President [Abdulla] Yameen one-on-one,” the President’s Office revealed in a statement.
“The two leaders will chair official talks between high-level delegations of the respective countries.”
A number of bilateral agreements “on advancing developmental corporation in various identified fields” would be signed during the visit, the President’s Office said.
“Furthermore, two development projects in the Maldives that are funded by the Chinese Government and implemented by Chinese corporations will also be launched jointly by the two presidents,” the statement added.
President Yameen extended an invitation to visit the Maldives to Xi Jinping during official talks held in Nanjing last month.
A 200-strong delegation, including representatives from major Chinese companies, is expected to accompany the Chinese president.
Speaking at a Progressive Party of Maldives event on Thursday, President Yameen reportedly said that the imminent visit of one of the most influential world leaders was an honour for the Maldives.
China was a global economic powerhouse with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Yameen noted.
“[Xi Jinping] is beginning his Asian tour in the Maldives. He is arriving one month to the day after I returned to the Maldives after visiting China,” Yameen was quoted as saying by newspaper Haveeru.
“We will use the visit to bring development for the people. During the Chinese president’s visit, [he] will agree to do many things for the Maldives.”
China bridge
Upon returning from a visit to China last month, Yameen said the Chinese government has pledged assistance in building a bridge connecting the capital Malé and Hulhumalé.
According to the President’s Office, President Yameen expressed his desire for the bridge to be known as the ‘China Bridge’ “to symbolise the friendly ties between the two countries” during a meeting with Xi Jinping.
Speaking to the press, Yameen revealed that the Chinese president recommended forming a high-level China-Maldives joint commission to oversee the project.
The Chinese president was also briefed about other ‘mega projects’ the government plans to commence, Yameen said, adding that “major Chinese contractors” would undertake the projects.
The Chinese government could ensure that loan facilities sought from the Chinese EXIM bank would be provided at a very low interest rate, he explained.
Meetings also took place between the Maldivian delegation and “large Chinese civil works companies,” Yameen noted.
Based on assurances from Xi Jinping, Yameen expressed confidence of receiving significant assistance from the Chinese government for the bridge project.
The Chinese government also provided MVR250 million (US$16 million) as grant aid during the president’s trip.
Discussions also focused on “important matters for China in international diplomacy,” Yameen revealed, referring to the the Chinese ‘New Silk Road’ project, which he said was intended to foster economic relations and increase trade between China and Asia-Pacific nations.
“We requested participation in the Silk Road initiative and were immediately welcomed,” he said.
Yameen said the Maldives would back China in the international arena as the two countries shared “the same principles on a number of issues, especially concerning the Indian Ocean region, human rights and many such matters.”
Asked if closer ties with China would adversely impact relations with India or Japan, Yameen said Sino-Maldives economic cooperation would not affect “the very friendly, close relations with India”.
“All these projects are also open to India and we are doing a lot of diplomatic work with India,” he said, referring to his administration’s decision not to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States as an example of cooperation.
“No country has expressed concern so far and I don’t believe they will either,” he said.
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You can judge how this Yameen can be democratic, and how much this guy can respect human rights from his behavior towards other countries, China is rouge country that doesn’t have any regards to human rights, and we have never seen him having any relation with democratic world. You can judge the people’s behavior by comparing their relationship with other people; normally people get along with their kind. Good luck Fish Rajje, you have a communist president, Good that Anni has initiated the people’s power now this kind of people are very much restricted to exercise their brutality. This sheds light on what Umar has said, you can’t rule out his involvement with gangs and drug lords
While the Chinese president is in Maldives, President Yameen can ask him to finish off the airport project for you. If you call it China International Airport (similar to China Bridge project), the Chinese might do the work for nothing.
He can also ask if Maldivians can travel to China for further studies and medical treatment. That way you won't have to hassle our consular staff for visas and we will all be happy. Especially me.
this is then way forward . Unlike GMR, corrupt deal, Chinese will be thousand times better and they are not going to ask us to pay to manage airport . But rather will give money to develop and expand our airport.
Difference between Nasheed and yameen is that Yameen makes smart decisions which are beneficial to the country where as Nasheed made lousy decisions where benefits directly goes to Nasheed pocket such as GMR and Dhiraagu deal.
Much as Hero and his ilk try to hide this fact - that if this happened in Nasheed's time, you'd see his thugs screeching about how laadheenee Nasheed is to invite a head of state that 'oppresses muslims'.
Now that they're in power, the plight of the Uighur people are something to be swept under the rug, lest they lose any profit over it.
The PPM gangs truly don't care for 'islam' - to them, even Allah is just a political tool to be used to control the people.
I see that minivan is too scared to report on the hajj scandals.
@King Ed http://minivannewsarchive.com/news-in-brief/over-70-unable-to-perform-pilgrimage-after-paying-dues-90058
I see the seemingly advocated Nationalistic views of current Maldive regime are vanishing. They use to use the terms, Gaumaa Gaumiyyath, Vahudhathaa Dheen! Not any more though, so i can have a good laugh now!
@Minivan. Maldivian had let Anni did lot of things and never had gone on pretest until he openly started to challenge Islam and until he sold our airport to GMR for nothing .
@MissIndia. Chinese companies are not like GMR and Indian companies can not work without corruption .
China is thousand times better than India in all aspects. Today China is second largest economy in the world and yet 60% of the Indian population have no place to live and lives slums .
Fact of the matter is Maldives is playing off China against India.
The thorn in the Maldives-India relationship - GMR - has won on all counts at the arbitration court, annihilating the Maldivian government's defence. In which case, arbitration will rule in favour of the compensation of approximately $1.4 billion. A debt that the economy cannot pay as it constitutes half of the country's GDP owing to one Indian company.
This will most likely be a tipping point in Yameen's government where Maldives will be going under and into sovereign debt for years to come.
A possible deal with GMR must be struck with the help of the Indian government. Therefore, from a strategic point of view, attracting Chinese influence and involvement in the Maldivian economy and rubbing the power card on the Indian government's face may not in the long run serve any good to this government.
When the time comes where Maldives is in debt to GMR , Indian government will exert its frustrations and call back Chinese involvement. But by then, if the Chinese are already invested in the Maldives, it will be a difficult balancing act to play by Yameen.
China surely is a giant economy and a wiser people.
Also the Chinese are masters of the game which they invented; Mahjongg which is perpetual in their blood.
It is hard to say if anyone can beat them at it.
And believe it or not; they don't play it for nothing!
@Hussain.
Who believes that we have to pay GMR 1.4 billion and its only in you and Nasheed dream. No one will ask to pay that much of money for a corrupt deal.
Since GMR had not invested anything , we will never had to pay that huge amount and maximum we will have to pay is 150 million which GMR claimed to have spent.
In reality GMR had not spent any money from thier pocket and all what they have spent is the money that was generated from airport operation.
Maldives does not require the pull our pants down in front of GMR .
Whatever China gives Maldives, they will take from 100 times more from Maldives...fish brains.
Hero on Sun, 14th Sep 2014 10:11 AM
According to Transparency International China sits higher on the corruption index than India, actually 14 places higher.
I doubt the Maldives will be better off dealing with China without a higher level of corruption.
These are not fairy tales that you normally pedal, but facts from respected International bodies.
If China is investing it's for their benefit only, not the people of Maldives.
Best wishes to maldives on Chinese aid but every thing comes with riders,if the Chinese are providing infrastructural aid that requires chinese companies winning the contract and importation of Chinese labour,any tourism aid may require long term lease to Chinese tourist operators,any financial aid require importation of Chinese goods or providing raw materials to china
Any way maldives is already a market for Chinese motorcycles and cars,hope those machines last long,and don't blow up as some 3rd rate iPhone chargers