During their meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping called Muizzu an “old friend”. Xi also said China was looking forward to developing bilateral ties with the Maldives and take relations between the countries to a new level.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held in-depth talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu following which the two countries signed 20 “key” agreements, including one on tourism cooperation, and announced the elevation of their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Muizzu reached Beijing on Tuesday night after staying in the Chinese city of Fujian for two days. He was accorded a red carpet welcome and a 21-gun salute.

Muizzu said he was honoured to pay his first state visit to China and become the first foreign head of state that China has hosted this year, fully demonstrating the great importance both sides attach to the development of bilateral relations.

Apart from tourism, the agreements signed included disaster risk reduction, blue economy and strengthening investment in the digital economy. China will also provide grant assistance to the Maldives, but the amount was not disclosed.

“20 key agreements were signed today between the Government of the Maldives and the Government of China this afternoon and both the Presidents witnessed the signing ceremony,” Maldivian President’s office said in a post on X.

Xi Jinping calls Muizzu an ‘old friend’

During their meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping called Muizzu an “old friend”, reported state media. Xi also said China was looking forward to developing bilateral ties with the Maldives and take relations between the countries to a new level, Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi stressed that China respects and supports the Maldives in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions. China also supports the Maldives firmly in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity, the report added.

Besides talks with Xi, Muizzu is expected to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other senior officials before his return to Male on January 12.

In an address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday, Muizzu appealed to China to “intensify” efforts to send more tourists to his country.

“China was our (Maldives’) number one market (for tourism) pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position,” he said.

Muizzu in his speech praised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects launched by Xi Jinping in 2014, saying that they “delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history”.

Maldives diplomatic row with India

Muizzu’s visit to China comes amid the ongoing diplomatic row with India over derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the release of a report by the EU Election Observation Mission of Maldives that said the ruling coalition of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) deployed anti-India sentiments and attempted to spread disinformation in the 2023 presidential elections in which Muizzu won.

Muizzu, who is due to return home on January 12, is already slammed by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) headed by former President Solih for rupturing relations with India. The MDP still has the majority in Parliament. Also, the Parliament polls are scheduled to take place in March in which Muizzu has to contest against PNC and MDP.

Muizzu’s visit to China is also taking place amid the row with India leading to a spate of cancellations of reservations by Indian tourists, who constitute the largest number of visitors to the tourism-dependent island nation. Facing backlash from Indian tourists, Muizzu appealed to China to “intensify” efforts to send more tourists to his country.

“China was our (Maldives’) number one market (for tourism) pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position,” he said.

According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023 with Russia in second place followed by China in the third.

The highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 209,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 187,118 arrivals.

China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to USD 451.29 million of which China’s exports constituted USD 451.29 million against USD 60,000 of exports from Maldives. Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum.

(With PTI inputs)