State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi has departed after concluding his official visit to the Maldives. The official visit was part of efforts to strengthen the bilateral ties and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and China.
During the visit, State Councillor Wang Yi paid a courtesy call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and held official talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. State Councillor Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Shahid also witnessed the signing of a number of key agreements on important areas. As such, the Governments of the Maldives and China signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption between the two countries, which will allow Maldivians to travel to China on a 30-day visa-free basis, once the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have been lifted.
The two countries also signed the agreement on economic and technical cooperation through grant aid worth USD 63 million, focusing on the development of key areas such as social, livelihood, and infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, both governments also signed a letter of exchange on the feasibility study of management and maintenance of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, a supplementary contract to the implementation contract for China Aided Micro-Grid Sea-water Desalination Project in the Maldives, and an agreement on establishing hospital assistance and cooperation programme between the Ministry of Health of the Maldives and the National Health Commission of China.
State Councillor Wang Yi travelled to Sri Lanka after concluding his two-day official visit to the Maldives.