Maldives to officially join China's Maritime Silk Road

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-12-18

Chinese president Xi Jinping, left, and Maldivian president Abdulla Yameen, right,
 discuss the project to build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Male, Maldives,
Sept. 15. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Maldives will officially join China's Maritime Silk Road Project on Tuesday during the first ever China-Maldives joint commission on economy and trade, local media reported.

A high level delegation of cabinet ministers will participate in the discussions with the Chinese government. The Maldives will also officially join the trade route during the meeting.

"With projects such as oil exploration and bridge construction in the agenda for discussion, the meeting will benefit economies of both countries. This is a great achievement to us as well," minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed told local media outlet Haveeru.

An MoU establishing a Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation was one of a raft of agreements signed during the historic visit of President Xi Jinping to Maldives in September.

The Maldivian delegation sent to Beijing also includes minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr. Mohamed Shainee, and minister at the President's Office Mohamed Hussein Shareef.

Shainee told media that discussions would be held with two Chinese companies regarding the search for oil, adding that the opportunity for neighboring countries to join the search would be available.

China has already agreed to construct a bridge connecting the airport island with capital Male and upgrade the international airport.

After a team of Chinese surveyors carried out a feasibility study into the bridge project last month, ministers told reporters that they would seek to expedite the project while in Beijing.

China also accounts for one third of all tourists visiting the Maldives.

Maldives president Abdulla Yameen last week laid the foundations for 704 housing units in the island of Hulhumale, part of an arrangement for 1,500 to be built by the China Machinery Engineering Corporation another of the government's mega-projects.