China and the Maldives have a long history of friendship. In September 2014, President ** paid a historic state visit to the Maldives, during which the two sides agreed to establish a future-oriented comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership between China and Maldives. Over the past 10 years, China-Maldives relations have developed in depth, the two sides have jointly built the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation in various fields, and deepened traditional friendship.
It's very convenient to live here."
Driving from the capital city of Malé, we crossed the China-Malaysia Friendship Bridge, the first sea-crossing bridge in the Maldives, and soon arrived at Hulhumale, the second largest island in the region. Walking along the wide avenue, rows of brightly colored buildings come into view. Ascending high and looking into the distance, more than a dozen buildings with white walls and blue roofs are set against each other with the blue sea in the distance, which is particularly eye-catchingIt is adjacent to another whitewashed and red-roofed building, separated by a lush street garden.
This is one of the civil residential projects in the Maldives undertaken by China Machinery Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Design Group"). During the President's state visit to the Maldives in 2014, he and the then President of the Maldives Yameen jointly inaugurated the residential housing project with the Chinese side participating in the construction. The renderings of the residential building at the unveiling ceremony have now been transformed into a residential area full of life.
Hulhumale is located at a distance of about 8 km from Male. More than 10 years ago, water was scarce and transportation was inaccessible. In response to climate change and population growth pressures, the Maldives established the Housing Development Corporation in 2001 to build Hulhumale Island. In 2009, CMEC signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia to undertake the construction of about 4,000 housing projects, which will be completed in three phases. As of June 2022, all housing has been handed over to Malaysia, helping more than 10,000 local residents to improve their living conditions.
It feels so good to stay here!"We used to live in a rented house, and our family of three was crammed into a small house of 30 square meters. Now I have my own house with an area of 75 square meters. It's really cosy here!”
Sarah, who has a family of six, appreciates the surrounding facilities: "There is a lot of green space around and we can enjoy our leisure time to the fullest. Shops and hospitals are also not far away, so it is very convenient to live here. ”
You have contributed to improving the lives of the Maldivian people by building comfortable housing, which has benefited the Maldives from the Belt and Road Initiative. As a new home for the local community, the Maldives housing project will benefit the people and promote the better development of the friendship between Malaysia and China. "At the handover ceremony of the third phase of the housing project held in June 2022, the then President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the Maldives *** Changsha Side sent a special speech.
With the completion of housing projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises, Hulhumale now has wide streets, high greening rate, modern atmosphere, and further commercial development. At night, Hulhumale's homes are lit up and the new city is full of life.
so that the public has access to first-class medical services".
The 36-year-old Almas is now a busy man at the Hulhumale Hospital's Centomal Eye Centre. Not long ago, she finished a three-month training at the Zhongshan Eye Center of Sun Yat-sen University in China, and before she returned to the Maldives from Guangdong, patients had already started queuing up for appointments.
In the operating room, which was fully equipped with equipment donated from China, Almas is performing phacoemulsification surgery on her patients with skillful and crisp movements – an advanced cataract method that she has mastered.
Although I have not been in China for a long time, I have felt the friendliness and warmth of the Chinese people. The doctors and ** at Zhongshan Eye Center have provided me with a lot of help and benefited me a lot. She said that the people of the Maldives have always been grateful to the Chinese doctors who provide medical assistance, and "I hope that the Chinese doctors will go to the Maldives again to help the people here."
In 2020, with the support of the National Health Commission of China and the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Professor Chen Weirong of Zhongshan Eye Center led a team of medical experts to the Maldives and brought a full set of ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment equipment. Relying on Hulhumale Hospital, they established the first modern and standardized ophthalmology center opened with China's assistance abroad.
Since its opening, the China-Malaysia Eye Center has provided various diagnosis and treatment services for local patients with eye diseases, helped hundreds of patients with eye diseases regain their sight, and trained local medical staff through online and offline methods. Almas is also a direct beneficiary. Prior to joining CMH in December 2022, Almas worked in the ophthalmology clinic of other hospitals in Male City. "The eye centre gives people access to first-class care. Here, too, I took a new leap forward in my career. She said.
We warmly welcome Chinese tourists."
Yapo, a local tour guide, has opened a homestay on Hulhumale Island, a three-storey building with a total of more than a dozen rooms, welcoming tourists from all over the world. When he saw Chinese tourists, he was particularly enthusiastic, shaking hands, patting shoulders, adding WeChat, and detailing his hotel, sea, diving and other services. We warmly welcome Chinese tourists."Yapper told reporters.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives, in 2023, the country will receive about 1.87 million foreign tourists, including about 18 Chinese tourists70,000 person-times, accounting for 10%, ranking among the top three. The Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives expects the number of foreign tourists to reach 2 million in 2024, and the number of Chinese tourists is expected to return to the top spot.
Tourism is the backbone of the Maldives' economy, and Malaysia, tourism and related practitioners attach great importance to the Chinese market. Mohammed Shahib, a spokesman for the Maldives** office, said a few days ago that the Maldives ** has decided to add two new planes funded by the Ministry of Finance to increase direct flights to major tourist destinations, and "China routes are listed as priorities."
With the deepening of people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia, the "China fever" in the Maldives is heating up. In September 2022, the Chinese Language Center was inaugurated jointly by Chang'an University in China, Hunan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College and Villa College in the Maldives. This is the first Chinese language center to be established in the Maldives, and it has become an important achievement of China-Malaysia cultural and educational cooperation. Nowadays, the Chinese language courses held by the Chinese Language Center of Vera College are very popular, and many Malaysian tourism practitioners are actively signing up.
In 2023, we will jointly press the 'fast forward button' for the development of China-Malaysia relations. Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin said that China and Malaysia have resumed direct flights, and tourism cooperation has been steadily acceleratedThe China-Malaysia Visa Exemption Agreement has come into force to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countriesThe "Chinese Ambassador Bursary" has been set up in Malaysian universities to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between young people of the two countriesRepresentatives of political parties and local friends from all walks of life have visited China one after another, enhancing the friendship between the two countries. "Looking forward to the future, we are willing to work with Malaysia and friends from all walks of life to renew the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly write a new chapter in the future-oriented comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership between China and Malaysia. ”