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BEIJING (Reuters) – China wants to deepen its mutually beneficial cooperation with the Maldives, said President Xi Jinping in a congratulatory message to the newly elected Maldivian leader, leader of an opposition party who has pledged to consider Chinese projects.
Chinese President Xi Jinping reacts during a session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia on September 12, 2018. Sergei Bobylyov / Photo Agency / Host TASS host via REUTERS
China and India clash over the influence of the Indian Ocean country, consisting of a series of palm-fringed islands and atolls 523 km southwest of the southern tip of the Indian Ocean. India.
Maldives opposition said before the elections that it would look into China's investment in its belt and road infrastructure initiative, partly concerned with the conditions, with experts warning that the archipelago may be in danger. fall into the debt trap.
Xi told Ibrahim Mohamed Solih that China and the Maldives shared a long-standing friendship, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
"China is willing to work with the Maldives to further strengthen their friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas to better benefit the people of both countries," said Xinhua.
Xi told Solih that he enjoyed developing his relations and was ready to "join Solih to bring the global friendly cooperation partnership between China and the Maldives to a new level," the report adds.
The defeated President Abdulla Yameen has been bringing the Maldives closer to China since 2013 as part of a Beijing-backed infrastructure boom.
Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for "continuity and stability" in the Maldives after the elections.
Report by Ben Blanchard; Edited by Paul Tait
