Lai Ching-tey is acknowledged as the front-runner in the presidential race by Taiwan's opposition KMT candidate

Lai Ching-tey is acknowledged as the front-runner in the presidential race by Taiwan's opposition KMT candidate

Lai Ching-tey is acknowledged as the front-runner in the presidential race by Taiwan's opposition KMT candidate

During Muizzu's visit to Beijing, the two nations struck a US$50 million deal to establish an integrated tourist zone in Hulhumale separate from creating 30,000 social housing units in Rasmale.

Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu delivered a caustic statement on Saturday upon his return from a five-day high-profile official visit to China, claiming that although his tiny nation, this "doesn't give them license to bully us".

His remarks coincide with a diplomatic spat with India over three of his ministers' disparaging social media statements on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Muizzu, a prominent pro-China figure, said, "We may be small, but that doesn't give them license to threaten us," without mentioning any specific nation.

"Even though there are a few tiny islands in this ocean, our exclusive economic zone spans 900,000 square kilometers. Upon his homecoming from China during the state closing ceremony, he addressed the media, "Maldives is one of the countries with the largest share of this ocean." said. Since taking up the position in November of last year, this is the first visit.

This ocean is not a part of any one nation. With an apparent jab at India, he remarked, "This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all the countries located in it."

"We don't belong in anyone's yard. He was reported by the online publication Maldives Sun as declaring, "We are an independent and sovereign state."

Muizzu spoke with President Xi Jinping on his visit to China, and the two nations went on to negotiate 20 accords. "The two sides agree to continue to strongly agree with each other in safeguarding their core interests," which was said in a joint statement after Muizzu's meeting with senior Chinese officials.

"China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national their independence, independence particularly national dignity, respects and supports the advancement of a development path appropriate to the national circumstances of the Maldives, as well as respects the internal struggles of the Maldives," said the release. "Strongly opposes outside interference." said without bringing up any nation.

During his media conference in Male, Muizzu said that his country had received help worth 130 million US dollars from China. The majority of the US$130 million in help, according to Muizzu, would go toward improving Male's roads in advance of the city's Saturday mayoral elections. Before winning the presidential election in November of last year, he served as the nation's mayor.

This funding amounts to around $130 million USD. It will be used for initiatives aimed at development.The construction of Male's roadways would need the most financial outlay, he was cited as saying by the local news outlet Sun Online. Additionally, Wang Lixin, China's ambassador to the Maldives, said that if the Maldives cooperate with Beijing, Beijing will sponsor additional development projects for them. President Xi's effort.

Wang, who traveled with Muizzu to China, identified three main reasons for the close relations between China and the Maldives. "Real political trust between parties is the first and most crucial component. Strengthening the alignment between President Muizzu's national development plan and President Xi's objectives is the second element. Additionally, I believe that we may decide on other initiatives that will help the Maldivians with this docking," she said.

The third, according to Wang, is to uphold the ideas of thorough consultation, cooperative building, and shared advantages. "I think that with these three key factors, we will have was extremely beneficial and sustainable cooperation in the future," he said.

"Both heads of state have declared that our bilateral ties will now be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership during this visit. He said in an interview with Sun Online that "this will provide a strong political guarantee for future partnership between the two countries."

A diplomatic spat between Muizzu and India over his ministers' disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Modi and the publication of a report by the EU Election Observation Mission to the Maldives, which claimed that the ruling coalition of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC) tried to incite anti-Indian sentiments and disseminate false information during the 2023 presidential elections—which Muizzu won—hindered Muizzu's visit to China.

Because Muizzu ran for president in November of last year as a member of the PPM, which is led by former pro-China President Abdullah Yameen, who is presently serving a jail term for corruption, the EU investigation raised questions about the election. During Muizzu's visit to Beijing, the two nations struck a US$50 million deal to establish an integrated tourist zone in Hulhumale separate from creating 30,000 social housing units in Rasmale. According to the article, China would also provide grant support for the construction of a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Vilimle.

The biggest hospital in the nation is said to be the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), which was constructed in Male by India. Long before China began to build infrastructure projects on the island country, India constructed the 300-bed hospital in 1992. In 2018, IGMH underwent a renovation with support from India, adding more diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

A deal allowing Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, to run domestic flights to China was also struck by the two nations during Muizu's visit to China.