The Maldives International Business Center was officially inaugurated on January 5 in Nansha, Guangzhou, marking a significant step in strengthening economic ties between China's Greater Bay Area and the Maldives.

This makes the Maldives the second country, following Madagascar, to establish a dedicated trade and economic office at the China-Africa Economic and Trade Greater Bay Area International Business Center.

The new center is expected to serve as a bridge, facilitating deeper collaboration in cultural tourism, fisheries, agriculture, healthcare, and new energy. It will help Maldivian enterprises access the vast Chinese market through Nansha and encourage companies in Nansha to participate in the Maldives' blue economy and infrastructure development.

In 2022, the State Council issued the Nansha Plan, clearly supporting Nansha in building a major strategic platform that is "based on the Greater Bay Area, in collaboration with Hong Kong and Macao, and embracing a global outlook," and in constructing a new platform for international exchanges. Currently, Nansha is intensifying efforts to advance the construction of a "Going Global" comprehensive service center for Chinese enterprises and actively building new bridges for pragmatic cooperation with Belt and Road partner countries.