A large contingent of the administration-aligned People’s National Congress (PNC) is visiting China at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The delegation is led by Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen and includes Members of Parliament (MPs) as well as officials from the President’s Office, the party said—party Secretary General Zeenaz Adnan is also taking part.
On Thursday, the visiting PNC delegation held discussions with Minister of the International Department of the CPC, Liu Jianchao.
A statement from the PNC detailed that the tour will end on 26 September and that the delegation will visit five Chinese cities, where they will gain exposure across several industries.
“The purpose of the visit is to learn from China, with the country having achieved the fastest global economic growth in recent history, and to strengthen bilateral relations and share experiences,” the PNC said.
The PNC, through its close affiliation with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), has had significantly close relations with China.
China has provided substantial assistance to the Maldives’ development, especially funding half of the US$200 million cost of the SinaMalé Bridge through grant aid during the PPM-led Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom administration—during which time Chinese President Xi Jinping also made an official visit to the Maldives.