Ambassador Urges Maldivian Businesses to Use China Trade Agreement
He said the agreement could facilitate access to Chinese products at more affordable prices.
Greater commercial engagement between Maldivian and Chinese businesses is needed to translate strong government relations into increased trade and investment, Maldives Ambassador to China Dr Fazeel Najeeb has said.
Speaking to state media on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in China, Najeeb said bilateral relations at the government level remained strong, but greater attention should now be directed towards building connections between private businesses.
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“It seems to me that the relationship between the private sectors of the two countries is what we most urgently need to develop,” Najeeb said.
He identified trade and investment as the principal areas requiring further progress, adding that stronger commercial links would deepen bilateral relations “in the truest sense.”
Najeeb encouraged businesses to make use of the Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement, particularly as China remains a major manufacturing centre and supplier of goods to the Maldives. He said the agreement could facilitate access to Chinese products at more affordable prices.
Education, technology and artificial intelligence were also identified as potential areas for collaboration between the two countries.
During the forum, Najeeb participated in a panel examining the role of artificial intelligence as a driver of development. He said that while developing countries such as the Maldives use modern technologies, they continue to face shortages in the technical expertise required to fully benefit from them.
Greater cooperation with China could help the Maldives develop these capabilities and strengthen its ability to adopt emerging technologies, he said.
