Chinese Ambassador to Maldives Zhang Lizhong have said that China has no intention to establish a military base in the Maldives.
In addition he said that it is not a precondition for normal military cooperation between China and Maldives. He said that Maldives and China have maintained friendly military cooperation and exchange of visits.
The ambassador said that in the past years China has provided training opportunities to the Maldivian National Defense Force personnel annually. In addition, he noted that China donated a fully equipped sea ambulance to MNDF for rescue and medical purposes.
He stressed that the friendly military cooperation is an important part of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Ambassador made this statement during a time the Maldivian Defense Minister has stated that for Maldives to maintain military relations with China, the Chinese would require to develop a military base in the Maldives.
