On March 16, the 4th Meeting of the Joint Meeting Mechanism to Deal with the Issue of Safety of Chinese Citizens in Maldives was held. H.E. Ambassador Wang Lixin and H.E. Ahmed Khaleel, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the meeting. H.E. Ibrahim Rasheed, State Minister of Tourism, Sofiyya Saeed, Deputy Minister of Health, as well as representatives from relevant agencies of Maldives, China-Maldives Chamber of Commerce and consular volunteers attended the meeting.

Ambassador Wang Lixin stressed that tourism cooperation is an important component of China-Maldives bilateral relations. The joint meeting Mechanism has played a vital role in ensuring the safety of Chinese tourists. With the increase of Chinese tourists to Maldives, it is necessary to revive the Mechanism. The Embassy is ready to work with the Maldivian side to take preventive measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Maldives so as to promote the sustainable development of tourism cooperation between China & Maldives.

State Ministers of Foreign Affairs & Tourism highlighted that resumption of the Mechanism is of great importance. Chinese market has always been one of the biggest contributors to Maldivian tourism industry. With more Chinese tourists coming to Maldives, relevant authorities should bear more responsibilities to guarantee their safety. Maldivian side is always ready to cooperate with Chinese side for a safe and pleasant journey for each Chinese citizen in Maldives.

Representatives from all stakeholders also shared their suggestions to improve the safety & services for upcoming Chinese tourists, like the introduction of Chinese-spoken staff, installation of safety signs in Chinese, establishment of a 7/24 standby working group to deal with any accident involving Chinese tourists.

In conclusion, Ambassador Wang Lixin expressed the gratitude for the cooperation from the Maldivian side and summed up the consensus of discussion into three points: more efficient & responsive information sharing network, more result-oriented actions and streamlined enhanced coordination among relevant agencies. Amb. Wang believed that with the joint efforts from both sides, the Chinese citizens would have a safe and enjoyable stay in Maldives, which would be the best promotion for Maldives.