President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is one of the most challenging engineering projects conducted across the sea in the Indian Ocean region.
In an exclusive interview with CGTN, President Muizzu reflected on the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge which was built in 2018 with Chinese assistance to connect Male' and Hulhumale'. He said that the population of the Maldives has historically been concentrated in the Greater Male' Region, which houses more than half of the population. He also highlighted that bad weather makes it difficult for residents to travel between the islands by sea.
As such, President Muizzu said the connectivity between Male' and the artificial island of Hulhumale' through the international airport was crucial, which was why the bridge was a key infrastructure development project conducted through the Belt and Road initiative and initiated by President Xi Jinping in his landmark visit to the Maldives 10 years ago. He added that the bridge is a symbol of the everlasting friendship between the countries and has changes the lives of thousands of Maldivians and assisted in the economic development of the region.
Additionally, President Muizzu detailed the engineering required to complete the project, emphasizing that it is the most iconic development projects conducted in the Maldives so far. The project was carried out during President Muizzu's tenure as the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. He said he was in charge of the entire project from beginning to end and was personally involved in ensuring the quality of the project and the speed of delivery.
"The geological theatres of the ground across the two islands of Hulhule' and Male' was very unique and actually the engineers who were designing this project didn't expect some of these challenges that came about… The deepest pile had to go 110 metres below the ground level under water. The water that that area was about 45 metres. So, you're talking about more than 150 meters of a long deep pile holding up the bridge at the very centre. Just one example of the challenges."
Furthermore, President Muizzu said that since President Xi Jinping embarked on the Belt and Road initiative 10 years ago, the level of assistance and cooperation between the two countries the two countries have gone to a new level. He also said that with his state visit, cooperation between the two countries has been elevated to a strategic partnership between the two countries, which was cemented into a five-year action plan.
Moreover, President Muizzu said that the Maldives and China share the principle of honoring the sovereignty of each country regardless of the size of the country, upholding the principle of non-interference in internal matters. As such, he said the Maldives and China are role models any other country forging diplomatic relationships.