Government amends letter nominating Taiwan envoy

Chinese Ambassador to Maldives Wang Lixin and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. -- Photo: Mohamed Shabin

Chinese Ambassador to Maldives Wang Lixin and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. -- Photo: Mohamed Shabin

The Maldives’ government has amended a letter for the nomination of an ambassador to Taiwan and resubmitted to the parliament on Monday.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih first sent the letter to the People’s Majlis last week. He asked to nominate an envoy to the Republic of China or Taiwan, replacing the current envoy to the People's Republic of China.

Maldives does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and does not see Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Adhadhu understands that the letter was submitted due to an administrative error.

Deputy speaker Eva Abdulla on Monday morning announced at the start of the parliament session that the letter had been corrected and resubmitted.

Last week, the government expressed regret to China after sending the letter to parliament and reassured the “long-term commitment to the one-China principle.”

“Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives has explained and apologized to the Chinese side for this…,” Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin tweeted on Friday night.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. It has been governed independently of mainland China, officially the People’s Republic of China, since 1949.

The Chinese government views the island as a renegade province and vows to eventually unify Taiwan with the mainland.

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