Ahmed Nazim, Deputy Speaker of the Maldives People's Parliament, looks forward to further cooperation

time：2024-07-27source：CGTN、省外办browse：2,535
Editor's Note

On July 23, the 8th China-South Asia Expo and the 28th China Kunming Import and Export Fair kicked off at the Kunming Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Center. Yunnan welcomed guests from all over the world with the South Asia Expo. This year's South Asia Expo continued to use the theme of "unity and cooperation, common development". A total of 82 countries, regions and international organizations participated in the conference and exhibition. Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar, Maldives and Nepal sent high-level political delegations to attend the conference. The South Asia Expo is an important platform to serve the national development strategy, deepen foreign economic and trade cooperation, enhance cultural exchanges, and show the beautiful image of Yunnan. Let's take a look at what the South Asia Expo is like in the eyes of foreign guests and how they evaluate Yunnan.

The 8th China-South Asia Expo is being held in Kunming, Yunnan until Sunday. More than 1,000 companies from South and Southeast Asia are participating in the event. Ahmed Nazim, deputy speaker of the People's Majlis of the Maldives, is one of the foreign visitors to the Expo. He told CGTN's Zheng Songwu during the event that he is looking forward to more cooperation with China in economic affairs, large-scale projects and tourism.

Zheng Songwu, Kunming, Yunnan Province “Economic and trade cooperation between China and the Maldives has shown significant growth. What key areas of opportunity do you think can maximize the growth potential between the two parties?
AHMED NAZIM, Deputy Speaker of the People's Parliament of the Maldives "I think tourism is the main industry involved. In addition, there is also a lot of room for cooperation in the tourism sector. Many Maldives and tourist islands have acquired these two different businesses. Then they have not been developed. They are stuck because of financial problems. So there is an opportunity for Chinese investors to explore the possibility of financing and provide financing opportunities for the struggling resorts so that more brands and more resources can be put into operation. The official sector is also open to this, there is fishing rod, which is the number one product in the market, and then we have the canoe factory. And then I assume that the free trade agreement will also come into effect soon. It has been signed a few years ago, but it has not been ratified. So once it is ratified, I think there will be an opportunity for the Maldives to produce goods for the Chinese market.
Zheng Songwu, Kunming, Yunnan Province “China and the Maldives have coordinated effectively on several large projects such as the Friendship Bridge. How have these projects benefited the Maldivian people? What are their expectations for future Chinese investment?
AHMED NAZIM, Deputy Speaker of the People's Majlis of the Maldives "Yes, China is a country that has had a very tangible impact on the lives of the Maldivian people. Even if you land in the Maldives as a foreigner, you will notice this friendship bridge where you are landing and the airport reserve, where the Chinese government has made a significant contribution to the new runway. So it has its conditions. It has brought new life to Male', which is a very popular capital city with a thriving population. It has opened up all kinds of options for the Maldivians and made life enjoyable. So China is a country that has really made a difference. So I think the Maldives are very grateful and they look forward to more cooperation.
Zheng Songwu, Kunming, Yunnan Province “Maldives is a popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists and vice versa. How can China further develop these bilateral tourism markets and expand cooperation?
Ahmed Nazim, Deputy Speaker of the Maldives People's Majlis, said: "Yes, China ranked third last year and the third largest area came from China. But this year, China has taken the top spot. By the end of July, we expect more than 125,000 visitors, an increase of 12% over last year. In addition, due to the new crown pneumonia, our Maldivian national airline has also stopped flights. We hope that Maldivian Airways will also resume direct flights to Chinese cities to allow more tourists to visit the Maldives. Therefore, there is a lot of room to introduce sports, fishing and new activities to the Chinese market.