China: Maldives partner in national development
Abdul Latheef
China is one of the most important partners of Maldives in the national development of the country.
China has been providing assistance to its capacity to help promote the Maldivian social and economic growth and support the country's infrastructure and human resource development.
The problem of a lack of sanitation in the capital Male’ was resolved when China established a sewage system in Male’.
The Housing Projects undertaken with Chinese assistance is of particular significance and has helped to partly reduce the pressure in Male’ for housing needs.
Also other infrastructure projects such as the Construction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building and Construction of the National Museum deserve special mention here. The tremendous support and assistance to the Maldives, following the disastrous tsunami of 2004, especially through the Housing Construction Project in H. Dh. Nolhivaranfaru is testimony to the deep affection and close friendship between the peoples of China and the Maldives.
In recent times, while 1000 flats were made in “China Town” of Hulhumale’, China is assisting in the completion of another 1500 housing units in the island.
In recent years, Maldives has seen remarkable positive growth in the number of tourist arrivals from China. In 2010, the highest number of tourists visited the Maldives from China, which is an increase of 96.1% from that of 2009 and the numbers are expected to increase in the future.
Cooperation in tourism and other areas as well as people-to-people exchanges kept deepening. Maldivian statistics show that Chinese tourists made about 120,000 visits to Maldives in 2010, making China the top source of visitors to Maldives.
Meanwhile, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping and First Lady Madam Peng Liyuan have arrived to Maldives in a State Visit to the country, at the invitation of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
During his stay in the Maldives, President Xi will be officially meeting President Yameen one-on-one. The two leaders will chair Official Talks between high level delegations of the respective countries.
The programme also includes the signing of a number of bilateral agreements on advancing developmental corporation in various identified fields. 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.
President Xi will be the first Chinese Head of State to conduct a state visit to the Maldives.
