China has pledged to help uphold the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Maldives.
President Mohamed Muizzu met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday during his visit to attend the Shanghai Corporation Summit (SCO).
"China will continue to support the Maldives in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and in exploring a development path suited to its realities," said the Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning in a post on X.
She noted that China and the Maldives share common aspirations and that the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership had continued to deepen.
"Last year, the two presidents agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and to build a China-Maldives community with a shared future," she said.
Muizzu began his trip to China on Friday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
"Notably, President Muizzu will deliver a statement at the SCO Plus meeting, where he will underscore the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges such as climate change, economic fragmentation, and geopolitical tensions," the President's Office said.
The SCO is a regional body focused on political, economic, and security matters across Eurasia. It was formed in 2001 by six nations: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
