A Chinese expert says the visit is expected to open a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, and tourism from China to the Maldives is expected to regain its vitality. Huang Yue has more.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has chosen the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen as his first stop in China.
He visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone after his arrival.
A Chinese expert says the president's visit will further facilitate the cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
LIN MINWANG Researcher of South Asian Research Center Fudan University Some cooperative deals have been suspended or blocked in the Maldives, such as tourism infrastructure, and the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement which was signed in 2017 but still hasn't taken effect. President Muizzu has an active attitude towards the Belt and Road Initiative, so I believe many projects will be activated.
The expert says past bilateral cooperation projects have provided a huge boost to the development of the Maldives.
LIN MINWANG Researcher of South Asian Research Center Fudan University Take the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge for example. The bridge is of great significance to the Maldives, improving local people's livelihood and visitors' experience. In addition, tourism is the pillar industry in the Maldives, and China has also been participating in building many high-end tourist service projects in the country.
HUANG YUE Beijing Before the COVID pandemic hit, China was the largest source of tourists to the Maldives for ten consecutive years. Data from the Maldives Ministry of Tourism shows that nearly 300,000 Chinese tourists visited the country in 2019, accounting for 17 percent of total tourist arrivals that year.
LIN MINWANG Researcher of South Asian Research Center Fudan University It's predictable that Chinese tourists to the Maldives will bounce back to the pre-pandemic era. The mutual visa exemption policy took effect last February, which makes it more convenient for Chinese travelers.
President Muizzu's state visit to China will last until Friday.
Analysts say during his visit, the two sides are expected to sign several agreements, covering economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and climate change. Huang Yue, CGTN, Beijing.
