China pledged to protect the Maldives' "sovereignty" and agreed to upgrade ties with the strategic Indian Ocean archipelago after signing key infrastructure deals, the two sides said.
With Beijing and Delhi tussling for influence, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was elected in September after pledging to cultivate "strong ties" with China and eject Indian troops.
Muizzu embarked this week on his first state visit to China -- the Maldives' largest external creditor -- and met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, Beijing's state media reported, announcing the "elevation of bilateral ties".
"Under the new circumstances, China-Maldives relations face a historic opportunity to build on past achievements and forge ahead," Xi told Muizzu, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.
Xi "stressed that China respects and supports the Maldives in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions", it said.
Beijing "supports the Maldives firmly in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity", he said.
Muizzu thanked Xi for "China's significant role in the Maldives' economic success" and Beijing's role in "infrastructure development of the Maldives", according to a readout from his office.
Muizzu's party was an eager recipient of funds from China's Belt and Road infrastructure programme, a central pillar of Xi's bid to expand China's influence overseas.
His mentor, former president Abdulla Yameen, borrowed heavily from Beijing for construction projects and spurned India.
That left it owing 42 percent of its total external debts of more than $3 billion to Beijing in 2021, according to the World Bank, citing the Maldives' finance ministry.
Eleven percent of that debt was owed to China's Exim Bank, a key Belt and Road creditor.
- Deals signed -
The Maldives signed several fresh agreements with China on Wednesday, including on climate, agriculture and infrastructure, Muizzu's office said.
No details about the value of the agreements were shared by either side.
The Maldives, primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, has also become a geopolitical hotspot.
Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation's chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, stretching around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator.
Muizzu was elected promising to remove a unit of Indian security personnel, deployed to operate three aircraft gifted to the Maldives to patrol its vast maritime territory.
He said last month he had secured their withdrawal but did not give a timeframe.
Muizzu has denied seeking to redraw the regional balance by bringing in Chinese forces instead.
But tensions have continued to flare with India as Muizzu's administration works to untangle a diplomatic row with Delhi after three of its junior ministers reportedly called Modi a "clown" and a "terrorist" in since-deleted social media posts last week.
Bollywood actors and some of India's cricket greats have responded with calls for their compatriots to boycott their southern neighbour and instead book their next holidays closer to home.
Tourism accounts for nearly a third of the Maldives' economy, with Indians making up the largest share of foreign arrivals.
Xi says supports Maldives 'sovereignty'
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu that he supported the strategically located archipelago in protecting its "sovereignty", state media reported, after the two countries signed a number of infrastructure and other agreements.
Muizzu was elected in September as a proxy for a pro-China predecessor jailed on corruption charges, vowing to cultivate "strong ties" with Beijing.
This week he embarked on his trip to China, his first state visit since taking office, and met with Xi on Wednesday, Beijing's state media reported.
"Under the new circumstances, China-Maldives relations face a historic opportunity to build on past achievements and forge ahead," Xi told Muizzu, according to its state-run Xinhua news agency.
Xi "stressed that China respects and supports the Maldives in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions", it added, and "supports the Maldives firmly in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity".
Muizzu, in response, thanked Xi for "China's significant role in the Maldives' economic success" and Beijing's role in "infrastructure development of the Maldives", according to a readout from his office.
Muizzu's party was an eager recipient of financial largesse from China's Belt and Road infrastructure programme -- a central pillar of Xi's bid to expand China's clout overseas.
His mentor, former president Abdulla Yameen, borrowed heavily from China for construction projects and spurned India.
The two countries on Wednesday signed several agreements, including on climate, agriculture, and infrastructure, Muizzu's office said.
Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the Maldives has also become a geopolitical hotspot.
Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation's chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, stretching around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator.
Muizzu was elected promising to remove a unit of Indian security personnel, deployed to operate three aircraft gifted to the Maldives to patrol its vast maritime territory.
Last month he said he had secured their withdrawal, but did not give any timeframe.
He has denied seeking to redraw the regional balance by bringing in Chinese forces instead.
China lodges complaint over attacks on shops in PNG
Beijing said on Thursday it had lodged "solemn representations" with Papua New Guinea after several Chinese businesses were attacked during riots.
"The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea has lodged solemn representations with the Papua New Guinea side over the attacks on the Chinese shops," a statement on WeChat said, adding that an unspecified number of Chinese citizens were injured.
At least 15 people were killed in the violence across Papua New Guinea's two largest cities, police said on Thursday.
"There was beating, smashing, looting and burning, and some commercial facilities including many Chinese shops were robbed," the embassy statement said of the rioting in the capital Port Moresby.
Beijing said it called on Papua New Guinea to take steps to guarantee the safety of Chinese citizens and businesses, and "severely punish the perpetrators".
"The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea once again reminds Chinese citizens and institutions in Papua New Guinea to pay close attention to the local security situation, strengthen security precautions, refrain from going out unless necessary, stay away from crowds and ensure personal safety," the embassy statement said.