China should be taken as an example in developing democracy- VP

Vice President Mohamed Waheeddeen has said that China should be taken as an example in developing democracy.

The Vice President made this statement speaking at the at the reception held at Traders Hotel to Celebrate the 63rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Vice President Waheeddeen said that China is going in the right direction and leading the world. “Even if you look at the political changes in china they have proved that they are taking patient, calculative, constructive and very objective directions and I believe that is how the democracy must be developed, not very hastily,” he said.

The Vice President noted that the Maldives and China share a long history of close relations and this October we will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He said that China continues to be a close partner of the Maldives in diverse spheres.

“The contributions from China to the social, cultural and economic development of our country are immense. I would especially like to note the contributions China has made to housing development in the Maldives, along with other infrastructure projects and I am glad that the housing, and the people who build the houses and flats are here today, thank you very much for coming today. The Foreign Ministry building stands as a testament to the close relations between our two countries. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government and the people of China for their generosity towards the Maldives and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the government and the people of china recent development assistance extended through economic and technical cooperation between the two countries and concessional financing,” he said.

Vice President Waheeddeen said that the opening of the Embassy of China in the Maldives last year demonstrates the importance the Chinese Government attaches to its relations between the Maldives although Maldives is one of the smallest nations.

“As a gesture to further strengthen the relationship between our two countries, the Government has decided to provide land for the establishment of the Chinese Embassy in the Maldives. The constructive engagement and support that His Excellency and the Embassy Staff offer to us, greatly contributes to consolidating the close and friendly relations that exist between the Maldives and China,” he said.

The Vice President said that he is pleased to note that China is currently the number one tourist market for the Maldives and he expressed hope that the number of Chinese tourists travelling to the Maldives will continue to increase. In addition, he noted that the trade between the Maldives and China has increased significantly in the past few years and China remains one of the largest trading partners of the Maldives.