On October 31 2024, Ambassador Wang Lixin attended the symposium “China and Maldives: A Decade of Friendship Towards One Shared Future”, jointly hosted by Chinese Embassy in the Maldives and Maldives China Trade & Cultural Organization. Ms. Sheryna Abdul Samad，Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulla Siyaz, Minister of State for Economic Development & Trade, senior officials from Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, as well as MPs, Deputy Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), experts, scholars and representatives from Chinese enterprises were present.

Ambassador Wang said that, this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Maldives. In January this year, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu paid a successful state visit to China. Looking back on the past decade, our political mutual trust is ever-increasing, practical cooperation has benefited the two peoples. And sustainable development represents the future of China-Maldives cooperation. Ambassador Wang also summarized the experience of the rapid development of China-Maldives relations: strategic guidance of the two heads of state is the cornerstone for the sustained high-level development of China-Maldives relations, strong political mutual trust laid a solid foundation for the development of China-Maldives relations, high-Quality Belt and Road cooperation acted as a powerful driver for the development of China-Maldives relations, and friendly exchanges were a constant driving force for the development of China-Maldives relations. The Chinese side is willing to work together with the Maldivian side to actively implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, further strengthen high-level exchanges to deepen political mutual trust, further enhance practical cooperation to better benefit our two peoples, further expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges and build stronger public support for bilateral relations, striving to build a community with a shared future.

Ms. Sheryna Abdul Samad, Mr. Abdulla Siyaz, MPs Mr. Abdulla Rifau and Mr. Imran Latheef, Mr. Asad Ali, Deputy Secretary general of MATI, environmental economist Dr. Simad Saeed and Mr. Midhuam Saud, vice president of MCTCO, in their speeches and presentations, said that the historical visit to Maldives by President Xi in 2014 marked a turning point in bilateral relations. The deepening cooperation between the two countries has promoted the development of the Maldives and many infrastructure projects marked by the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge have greatly improved the living standards of the Maldivian people. Early this year, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu paid a successful state visit to China and China-Maldives relations were elevated to a new level, opening a new chapter and bringing about new opportunities for the development of bilateral relations. China has made remarkable achievements in economic and social development. The Maldivian side hopes to benefit widely from Chinese modernization and seize the opportunity to further strengthen cooperation with China in various fields such as economy, trade, finance, infrastructure, tourism, science and technology, education, and green energy, so as to promote the sustainable development of the Maldives.