President Dr Mohamed Muizzu corroborated that the longstanding China-Maldives relations are built upon an exemplary model of mutual respect. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Velana International Airport (VIA) upon his return to the Maldives after concluding his state visit to the People's Republic of China today.
The President stated that China-Maldives relations are based upon four principles: mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal matters.
President Dr Muizzu additionally remarked that China respects the territorial sovereignty of the Maldives just as the Maldives fully accept China's One China policy. In this regard, the President noted that despite the small size of the Maldivian islands, the Maldives occupies one of the most substantial shares of the Indian Ocean in terms of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Emphasising that no one country owns the ocean, and with this significant share, he reiterated that the Maldives is an independent and sovereign state.
The President additionally noted that the Maldives' ties with all countries are based on the aforementioned four principles.
