Kunming, 17 August 2023 (TDI): The Maldives Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel participated and delivered a statement on behalf of the Government of Maldives at the 4th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum.
The Forum is themed “Pragmatic Cooperation for Shared Development” in Kunming, Yunnan Province in the People’s Republic of China. It is an offshoot of the 7th China-South Asia Expo and the 27th China Kunming Import and Export Fair.
State Minister Ahmed Khaleel pointed out the foundation of historic ties, principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and mutual respect between the Republic of Maldives and the People’s Republic of China aimed to pursue a people-centric approach in their relations.
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Ahmed Khaleel also reiterated Maldives’ appreciation to the Chinese government for the current support and assistance extended to the Republic of Maldives.
Other officials that accompanied the State Minister included the Ambassador of Maldives to the People’s Republic of China Aishath Azeema, and the Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariyam Suha.
First China-South Asia Cooperation Forum
The first China-South Asia Cooperation Forum (CSACF) was held in Yuxi, China’s southwestern Yunnan province, on June 14-15, 2018.
The Forum was held in parallel with the fifth China-South Asia Expo. It included an exhibition on poverty reduction and dialogues between local leaders from China and South Asia.
Additionally, it captured a high-level roundtable meeting for economic and trade cooperation, including a seminar on financial cooperation and development strategy.
China-South Asia Expo
The China-South Asia Expo is a crucial platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and South Asian countries.
China-South Asia Expo was earlier known as the “South Asian Countries Commodity Exhibition” and it provided a specialized promotion platform for South Asian commodities.
Currently, the platform is more comprehensive; integrating business trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges. Consequently, linking both China and countries in the South Asia region to advance their economy, trade, and investment, as well as tourism and cultural ties.
The Republic of Maldives has been an active participant in the China-South Asia Expo. Through the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Maldives usually opens opportunities for interested private-sector corporations to participate in the China-South Asia Expo.
