Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives HE Zhang Lizhong has refuted the claims made by Mohammed Nasheed the speaker of the parliament on China.

Nasheed who is also the leader of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that China has grabbed more land than the East India Company and that the assistance given by China to Maldives is not really assistance but a debt trap. 

Tweeting yesterday Ambassador Lizhong stated that Nasheed’s remarks were baseless and that Chinese investments in Maldives are no different from any other country. He also suggested Nasheed and the government to honor agreements made by Maldives with China saying that it is good to uphold the dignity of the country, after Nasheed suggested that the government plans to restructure the debts to China. 

Responding to Nasheed’s remarks no killing the Free Trade Agreement between Maldives and China, the ambassador stated that he trusts the Maldivian government to make a wise choice on the agreement which has already been signed by the two government after years of negotiations and consultations on equal footing. 

The ambassador also reminded that China is the largest tourist source market for Maldives and that China is a development partner and not a trap maker, after Nasheed claimed that Chinese loans are a debt trap. 

He also stated that he hopes Maldivian politicians to have an objective and responsible attitude on bilateral ties and cherish what both countries have achieved to keep the relationship on health and a correct track.