Speaking at the China-Maldives Investment Cooperation Forum held alongside Maldives Expo 2026, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu urged Chinese business leaders and investors to deepen their economic engagement with the Maldives. He emphasized that greater foreign participation is essential to diversifying the national economy, accelerating technological innovation, and driving the island nation toward its goal of becoming a fully developed state by 2040.
The President reassured international investors that the Maldives is committed to maintaining a safe, stable, and transparent business environment. A central piece of this effort is the newly enacted Foreign Investment Act, which modernizes regulatory frameworks that had remained largely unchanged for more than four decades. By strengthening policy certainty and investor protections, the administration aims to build long-term confidence and attract high-value global capital into critical sectors such as renewable energy, food security, fisheries processing, logistics, digital technology, and sustainable urban development.
Bilateral trade continues to serve as a cornerstone of the expanding relationship, bolstered by the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement that came into effect on January 1, 2025. Between the start of 2025 and August 2026, the Maldives imported approximately 440 million dollars worth of goods from China, with around 124 million dollars entering under the preferential terms of the free trade deal. President Muizzu highlighted significant growth opportunities for Maldivian exports in the Chinese market, particularly across fisheries, artisan goods, and services, and he encouraged joint ventures that strengthen processing capacity, streamline distribution, and secure broader market access.
Technological transformation forms another crucial pillar of the administration’s broader Maldives 2.0 initiative, designed to establish a competitive and highly connected digital economy. Digital adoption has already yielded tangible results for the local economy and tourism sector, which saw over 320,000 Chinese visitors in 2025 alone. Between January and September 2026, the Maldives recorded more than 73,000 transactions totaling nearly 11 million dollars processed through popular Chinese payment platforms Alipay and WeChat Pay. Expanding integration with major commercial platforms like Alibaba, alongside investments in artificial intelligence, financial technology, smart infrastructure, e-commerce, and digital public services, is expected to give Maldivian vendors direct access to international customers.
Reflecting on past Chinese-supported infrastructure projects that have significantly improved transport and public services across the country, President Muizzu stressed that future initiatives must be judged by their tangible, long-term impact on the public. He urged forum participants to focus on practical, commercially viable projects that deliver meaningful skill development, generate quality employment, and generate lasting economic value for local communities. Bringing together key government officials, prominent executives, and private investors, the gathering underscored a shared commitment to shaping the next chapter of economic cooperation between the two nations.
