BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese president Xi Jinping begins his state visit to Maldives, the first stop of his three-nation South Asian tour.
Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen received Xi and his wife at the airport near the capital Male, where an official welcoming ceremony awaits him later in the day. Maldivian officials say the two leaders are due to discuss Chinese financial support for building a bridge between Male and the airport island of Hululle, along with a new runway. The talks will largely build on Xi and Yameen’s last meeting in August, when the Maldivian president visited China for the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.
This is the first state visit from a Chinese head of state to Maldives since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972. President Xi is due to travel to Sri Lanka on Tuesday before heading to India, the final destination of his South Asian tour.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
|
