President Yameen concludes visit to China, having signed 12 agreements

President Abdulla Yameen and first lady Fathimath Ibrahim have concluded their visit to China, having signed landmark agreements and honoured with dinner receptions.

Maldives and China had signed a total of 12 agreements while Yameen was in Beijing on invitiation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The agreements include commitments to cooperate on commercial, social, and economic spheres, although the most notable was the much debated and controversial free trade agreement.

The agreement has been said to potentially be detrimental to local smaller businesses and larger Chinese businesses could take over markets.

Yameen’s visit to China was also in time to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations between both countries.