Saturday marked the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and China. A series of events, both in the Maldives and in China, to mark the occasion have been organized throughout this commemorative year.
Diplomats from the Maldivian Embassy in China and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China played a friendly football match, as part of the celebrations. The event started with welcome remarks by Ambassador of Maldives to China Mohamed Faisal followed by remarks by the Deputy Director General of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In Ambassador Faisal's remarks he highlighted the close cordial relations that exist between the two countries, and the recent deepening of relations. Ambassador Faisal noted that China was one of the closest development partners of Maldives and that the two countries were enjoying a period of golden relations with enhanced economic cooperation and people-to-people contact. The match was attended by senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and their families and diplomats and families of the Maldivian Embassy in China as well as some Maldivian students living in China.
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The Maldivian Embassy in China will also host a reception in late October to celebrate the historic milestone while the Embassy of China in Maldives has hosted a reception on September 28 at Kurumba Maldives to mark the occasion.
Maldives and China established bilateral relations on October 14, 1972.