Chinese Ambassador Kong Xianhua has said China rejects any suggestion that the Maldives is another country’s “backyard” and fully respects its sovereignty and independence.
In an exclusive interview with The Press, Kong was responding to a question about the Maldives’ strategic position in the Indian Ocean and perceived geopolitical rivalry between China and India.
He said relations between countries should not be built around geopolitical competition, and that understanding China–Maldives cooperation required looking beyond such narrow perspectives.
No country wants its territory to become an arena for confrontation between major powers, he said, adding that he believed Maldivians shared that view.
Kong welcomed President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s “Maldives First” policy and pledged continued Chinese support for the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
He said China supported inclusive development and cooperation, including constructive relations with the United States. China’s historical experience of colonialism and foreign interference, he added, had deepened its appreciation of independence.
The ambassador said bilateral cooperation extended beyond infrastructure to renewable energy, modern fisheries, agriculture and the digital economy. Through technology and knowledge sharing, China hoped to build an “invisible bridge” that would strengthen the Maldives’ capacity for self-reliance and development.
