India-Maldives row: “We view increasing our export of fish products to China as a major priority through the FTA, as it aims to boost bilateral trade and investments,” the president continued.

Following a wave of Indian travellers canceling reservations due to a diplomatic spat sparked by his ministers’ disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives made an appeal to China on Tuesday to “intensify” its efforts to bring more tourists to his nation.

On Tuesday, the second day of his five-day state visit to China, Muizzu described China as the island nation’s “closest” ally during his remarks at the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province.

“China remains one of our closest allies and development partners,” he said.

In line with his address, he lauded the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, which were introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014 and “delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history”.

He called on China to increase the number of visitors it sends to the Maldives.

A statement on his official website stated, “China was our (the Maldives’) top market before Covid, and I request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position.”

The development of an integrated tourism zone on the Indian Ocean island is the subject of a USD 50 million initiative inked by the two nations, according to Maldivian media.

Muizzu’s call for more Chinese visitors coincided with a diplomatic spat over criticism of Prime Minister Modi made by certain Maldivian ministers after the latter uploaded a video of himself on a spotless beach while on a recent trip to Lakshadweep.

Three deputy ministers were suspended by Muizzu’s government due to their disparaging social media statements.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) also vehemently denounced the disparaging remarks.

India continues to be the Maldives’ top visitor destination in 2023, according to data previously made public by the tourism ministry.

With 209,198 arrivals, India was the country that sent the most tourists to the Maldives. Russia came in second with 209,146 arrivals, and China came in third with 187,118 arrivals.

With 240,000 visitors in 2022, India continued to be the most popular destination in the Maldives. With 198,000 tourists, Russia came in second, while Britain came in third with more than 177,000 arrivals.

Before COVID, China ranked first with over 2.80 lakh visitors, but because of a nearly four-year lockdown and ongoing economic recession, it is currently having difficulty reviving both internal and international travel.

Because of the economic downturn, Chinese tourists who traveled overseas for vacation in their millions before to COVID are now making travel restrictions.

Following his visit to Fujian, Muizzu arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, where he is scheduled to meet with Premier Li Ke Qiang and President Xi Jinping.

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Over the following three days, the president will take part in high-level talks and discussions, according to Muizzu’s Maldivian counterpart, Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer.

“Our focus is on conveying the Government’s priorities and exploring avenues for enhanced collaboration with China,” he wrote in an article on X.

Muizzu, who is seen as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, said to the Forum that his administration’s goals are to diversify the Maldives’ economy, maintain economic security, and grow the travel and tourism sector while also increasing the number of tourists.

Additionally, he stated that his administration is dedicated to implementing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China as soon as possible, characterizing it as a representation of the close commercial relations that exist between the two nations.

During the pro-China administration of President Abdulla Yameen, the Maldives and China signed the free trade agreement in December 2014. However, according to allegations in the Maldives media, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration did not carry out the deal.

The FTA, according to him, is a representation of the tight economic relations between the two nations.

“The FTA’s aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA,” he stated.

The bilateral trade between China and the Maldives in 2022 amounted to USD 451.29 million, of which USD 451.29 million came from Chinese exports and USD 60,000 from Maldivian exports.

At the Maldives Investment Forum, Muizzu also asked Chinese businesses to invest in 11 of its projects.

SOURCE: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/maldives-lakshadweep-row-president-urges-china-to-send-more-tourists-amid-row-india-pm-modi-with-india-4830115