China is to grant additional doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives.

Chinese President Xi Jinping assured this to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, during a telephone call on Thursday.

During the call, President Solih noted the important role played by China towards global efforts to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, and expressed gratitude to President Xi and the Chinese Government for the generous contribution of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives back in March.

The Chinese leader told President Solih that the Government of China will be granting additional doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives “at the earliest”.

Further highlighting that 2022 marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, President Solih emphasized that China has been “one of the most significant development partners of the Maldives over the years”.

As such, he noted some of the recent projects undertaken with assistance from China, adding that the administration “is keen on continuing cooperation”.

The president further expressed eagerness to work closely with the new Ambassador of China to the Maldives, to enhance the ties between the two countries.

Solih also congratulated Jinping on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adding that the party “has evolved into a voice for equality, prosperity and increased international cooperation” during Jinping’s leadership.

President Xi also reflected on the close cooperation between China and Maldives during the call, expressing interest to explore furthering the existing partnership.

Further noting that the Chinese government is happy to support the Maldives under the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), Xi said that he hopes that this initiative “would help the Maldives better focus on Covid-19 recovery efforts”.

He further expressed interest to work together with the Maldives in regard to sports training and elevating tourism cooperation to increase the number of Chinese tourist arrivals to the Maldives.