Climate change, trade and tourism to top Xi Jinping's agenda in Maldives visit
President Xi Jinping arrived in the Maldives on his southern Asia tour, with climate change, trade and tourism expected to be high on the agenda.
President Xi Jinping arrived in the Maldives yesterday on his southern Asia tour, with climate change, trade and tourism expected to be high on the agenda.
"China will continue to pursue close cooperation with [the Maldives] on climate change, human rights and other issues," Xi said in a signed article published in the Maldivian media just before his arrival, Xinhua reported.
Xi's visit to the Maldives is the first by a Chinese head of state since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972.
Maritime economic cooperation and tourism would be high on Xi's agenda, while his counterpart, Abdulla Yameen, will push for talks on climate change, Xinhua cited Ye Hailin, a researcher at South Asia Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as saying.
The island nation of fewer than 400,000 people is facing the threat of rising sea levels due to global warming.
Xi said in his article that China welcomed the Maldives to get involved in the proposed 21st century Maritime Silk Road initiative.