Maldives, China hold talks to boost military ties

Male: The Maldives and China discussed avenues of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries, the defence ministry has said.

In a post on X on Friday, the Maldives' Ministry of Defence said Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

"During the meeting, the two ministers discussed avenues of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries," it said, without disclosing the details of the discussions.

Maldives' Ambassador to China, Dr Fazeel Najeeb, was also present during the meeting, it said.

The Maldives and China have previously held talks to strengthen military ties.

In March, Maldives and China signed an agreement to provide military assistance to Maldives military and security services, according to a report in adhadhu.com news portal.

Under the agreement, China will provide military equipment and training to Maldives, President Mohamed Muizzu had said. However, he did not provide details.