President Dr Mohamed Waheed and Madam Ilham Hussain attended function to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and China. The function was held last evening at Traders Hotel.
Speaking at the function, President Waheed said that in the past 40 years, relations between the Maldives and China had grown from strength to strength. He added that relations between Maldives and China were founded on “mutual respect, shared principles and values of common understanding of issues of global importance”.
Highlighting the historic relations between the two countries, President Waheed said the relations between the Maldives and China go back to the Ming Dynasty of ancient China and that there were ample testimony of the length and strength of this relationship in the historic relics and records in Maldives National Museum.
In his speech, President Waheed emphasised the Chinese contribution to the social, cultural and economic development of the Maldives. He said while China was one of the largest trading partners of the Maldives, it was also currently the number one tourist market for the Maldives.
Expressing confidence that the traditional bounds of friendship and cooperation that the two countries had enjoyed over the past four decades would grow from strength to strength, President Waheed thanked the government and people of China for the warm relations.
He further reassured that the Maldives would “always support the government and the people of China in every way possible”.
At the function, the Chinese Ambassador, Mr Yu Hongyao also spoke on the close ties that exist between the Maldives and China.
