China's foreign ministry said today that president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will stay committed to enhancing ties with China and will "follow existing projects with the country".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/president-yameens-party-challenges-election-results-in-maldives-supreme-court-170671">Also Read:&nbsp;President Yameen's party challenges election results in Maldives Supreme Court</a>

"We also noted that at different stages some people do not want to see the smooth progress of our cooperation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, referring to ex-Maldives president Muhammad Nasheed who has spoken out against Chinese projects in the country.

Commenting on &nbsp;China's ambassador to the Maldives Zhang's meeting with Solih, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media that the newly president-elect had assured the continuation of the projects.&nbsp;

Nasheed now lives in exile in Sri Lanka after being convicted in anti-terror law, a move which was overturned by the Supreme Court. He is the senior lead of &nbsp;Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) to which the current winner of elections Solih belongs. &nbsp;The former president has been a bitter critic of China often calling for Chinese projects in the Maldives to be scrapped.&nbsp;

Nasheed had said Chinese investment in the Maldives amounted to "land grab" in the name of investment. He had accused of the Yameen government of lacking in transparency while allowing Chinese investment in the island country.

"China is buying up our lands, buying up our key infrastructure and effectively buying up our sovereignty," he had said. When Solih won the election last month, Nasheed declared that the new government would review the projects due to be set up by China.&nbsp;

Earlier, he had accused China for pressuring the Yameen government to return Indian helicopters stationed in the country which he said were used for meant for emergency evacuation.

However, the foreign ministry said China is willing to work with new government to cement the traditional friendship, deepen mutual benefit cooperation and elevate bilateral ties to a higher level while asserting that China has already signed cooperation agreements will continue to "implement the existing cooperation projects and continue to explore cooperation in more areas such as infrastructure, livelihood and tourism."

"The aim is to contribute to Maldives economic and social development and deliver benefits to the people of Maldives, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman added. 
&nbsp;

China's foreign ministry said today that president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will stay committed to enhancing ties with China and will "follow existing projects with the country".

China's foreign ministry said today that president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will stay committed to enhancing ties with China and will "follow existing projects with the country". Also Read: President Yameen's party challenges election results in Maldives Supreme Court "We also noted that at different stages some people do not want to see the smooth progress of our cooperation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, referring to ex-Maldives president Muhammad Nasheed who has spoken out against Chinese projects in the country. Commenting on China's ambassador to the Maldives Zhang's meeting with Solih, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told the media that the newly president-elect had assured the continuation of the projects. Nasheed now lives in exile in Sri Lanka after being convicted in anti-terror law, a move which was overturned by the Supreme Court. He is the senior lead of Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) to which the current winner of elections Solih belongs. The former president has been a bitter critic of China often calling for Chinese projects in the Maldives to be scrapped. Nasheed had said Chinese investment in the Maldives amounted to "land grab" in the name of investment. He had accused of the Yameen government of lacking in transparency while allowing Chinese investment in the island country. "China is buying up our lands, buying up our key infrastructure and effectively buying up our sovereignty," he had said. When Solih won the election last month, Nasheed declared that the new government would review the projects due to be set up by China. Earlier, he had accused China for pressuring the Yameen government to return Indian helicopters stationed in the country which he said were used for meant for emergency evacuation. However, the foreign ministry said China is willing to work with new government to cement the traditional friendship, deepen mutual benefit cooperation and elevate bilateral ties to a higher level while asserting that China has already signed cooperation agreements will continue to "implement the existing cooperation projects and continue to explore cooperation in more areas such as infrastructure, livelihood and tourism." "The aim is to contribute to Maldives economic and social development and deliver benefits to the people of Maldives, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman added.

Will continue to follow existing projects in Maldives, taken note of people opposing smooth cooperation: China

The president-elect of the Maldives has scored another victory by securing a majority in Parliament after the Elections Commission restored 12 lawmakers who were earlier deemed to have lost their seats.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won last month's presidential election and is to be sworn in next month.

The restoration of the lawmakers Wednesday in line with a Supreme Court order is a sign that Solih is consolidating his victory against outgoing strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who appears to be losing his grip on state institutions.

Solih's opposition coalition will now have 43 members in the 85-member Parliament while Yameen's party will have 40.

The Elections Commission announced last year that the 12 lawmakers had lost their seats after they joined the opposition when the ruling party split.&nbsp;

The president-elect of the Maldives has scored another victory by securing a majority in Parliament after the Elections Commission restored 12 lawmakers who were earlier deemed to have lost their seats.

The president-elect of the Maldives has scored another victory by securing a majority in Parliament after the Elections Commission restored 12 lawmakers who were earlier deemed to have lost their seats. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won last month's presidential election and is to be sworn in next month. The restoration of the lawmakers Wednesday in line with a Supreme Court order is a sign that Solih is consolidating his victory against outgoing strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who appears to be losing his grip on state institutions. Solih's opposition coalition will now have 43 members in the 85-member Parliament while Yameen's party will have 40. The Elections Commission announced last year that the 12 lawmakers had lost their seats after they joined the opposition when the ruling party split.

Maldives president-elect Mohamed Solih gains control of Parliament

Maldives government on Tuesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/when-the-opposition-protests-they-have-to-be-controlled-maldives-minister-to-wion-32658">said calls for Indian military intervention </a>in the Maldives was &quot;out of line&quot;.

&ldquo;India would not act upon such calls,&rdquo; the Maldives government added.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-has-grabbed-more-land-than-the-east-india-company-ex-maldives-president-nasheed-32690">Maldives government&#39;s statement comes</a> after India expressed dissatisfaction over events in the island nation as China said it does not want the Maldives to become another &quot;flash point&quot;.

In a statement, the Yameen Abdul Gayoom-led government said: &quot;The government views such actions to be irresponsible and intended to cause the citizens of both nations as well as other stakeholders, to cast doubt upon the excellent relationship India and Maldives have enjoyed for decades.&quot;

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had said the international community should respect the &quot;sovereignty and independence&quot; of the Maldives even as ex-president Nasheed requested India to play the role of &quot;liberators&quot; and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil.

&quot;We would like to assure all our beloved citizens that the Maldives does not have to fear for its independence or sovereignty and that the Government would not give any opportunity to anyone to threaten the country&#39;s sovereignty,&quot; the Maldives government said in a statement.

China had warned that military intervention would further complicate the situation in the island nation.

&quot;The current situation in the Maldives is its internal affairs. China follows the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others,&quot; China&#39;s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

The Maldives government's statement comes after India expressed dissatisfaction over events in the island nation

Maldives government on Tuesday said calls for Indian military intervention in the Maldives was "out of line". “India would not act upon such calls,” the Maldives government added. The Maldives government's statement comes after India expressed dissatisfaction over events in the island nation as China said it does not want the Maldives to become another "flash point". In a statement, the Yameen Abdul Gayoom-led government said: "The government views such actions to be irresponsible and intended to cause the citizens of both nations as well as other stakeholders, to cast doubt upon the excellent relationship India and Maldives have enjoyed for decades." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had said the international community should respect the "sovereignty and independence" of the Maldives even as ex-president Nasheed requested India to play the role of "liberators" and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil. "We would like to assure all our beloved citizens that the Maldives does not have to fear for its independence or sovereignty and that the Government would not give any opportunity to anyone to threaten the country's sovereignty," the Maldives government said in a statement. China had warned that military intervention would further complicate the situation in the island nation. "The current situation in the Maldives is its internal affairs. China follows the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Enjoy excellent relationship with India, calls for military intervention out of line: Maldives

The exiled former president of the Maldives said today he will run again for office, hours after a surprise Supreme Court decision to free a group of political prisoners led to unrest in the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Current President Yameen Abdul Gayoom had been set to run for re-election virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled. But ex-President Mohammed Nasheed, who is among the prisoners ordered freed, said he would challenge Yameen, who has rolled back many democratic reforms since coming to power five years ago.

&quot;I can contest and I will contest and hopefully we will win it again,&quot; Nasheed told the AP in Colombo, the capital of neighbouring Sri Lanka.

Nasheed was jailed in 2016 but received asylum in Britain later that year after travelling there on medical leave from prison. He has lived in exile ever since.

Nasheed also called for reforms in the country&#39;s security services, telling the AP that &quot;a small element within the military and police want to prop up the dictatorship&quot; of Yameen.

Male, the capital, was quiet today afternoon, although an opposition leader said Yameen&#39;s opponents were planning further protests.

The Supreme Court of Maldives ordered the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb along with other politicians.

The court ordered the immediate release of high-profile prisoners and held that &quot;the prisoners were free until fair trials could be conducted without undue influence&quot;, a statement said.

The order given Thursday night could be a major blow to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom who has a tight grip on power, controlling institutions like the judiciary, police and the bureaucracy, Fox News reported.

The clashes lasted about three hours, with police dispersing rock-throwing crowds using pepper spray and batons. At least one injured police officer was taken to a hospital. It was not immediately clear if anyone was arrested, though some protesters were taken away by police.

Atul Keshap, the US ambassador to the Maldives, welcomed the Supreme Court order. &quot;I urge the government and security services to respect this ruling, which bolsters democracy and rule of law for all Maldivians,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

India, on Friday, said it was imperative for &quot;all organs&quot; of the Maldivian government to abide by the country&#39;s Supreme Court order to release all political prisoners &quot;in the spirit of democracy&quot;.

In a statement, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/imperative-for-maldivian-govt-to-abide-by-sc-ruling-india-31617">Ministry of External Affairs</a> (MEA) said it was &quot;closely monitoring&quot; the evolving situation in the Maldives and also hoped that the safety and security of Indian expatriates in the island nation would be ensured by the Maldivian authorities under &quot;all circumstances&quot;.

In 2015 Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison, convicted of terrorism charges in a trial widely condemned by international rights groups.

Yameen&#39;s former deputy, Ahmed Adeeb, who had been jailed on accusations of plotting to kill the president, was also ordered released.

Adeeb was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2016, charged with corruption, possession of illegal firearms and planning to kill Yameen by triggering an explosion on his speedboat. However, FBI investigators said they found no evidence of a bomb blast.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

Current President Yameen Abdul Gayoom had been set to run for re-election virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled

The exiled former president of the Maldives said today he will run again for office, hours after a surprise Supreme Court decision to free a group of political prisoners led to unrest in the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Current President Yameen Abdul Gayoom had been set to run for re-election virtually unopposed, with all of his opponents either jailed or exiled. But ex-President Mohammed Nasheed, who is among the prisoners ordered freed, said he would challenge Yameen, who has rolled back many democratic reforms since coming to power five years ago. "I can contest and I will contest and hopefully we will win it again," Nasheed told the AP in Colombo, the capital of neighbouring Sri Lanka. Nasheed was jailed in 2016 but received asylum in Britain later that year after travelling there on medical leave from prison. He has lived in exile ever since. Nasheed also called for reforms in the country's security services, telling the AP that "a small element within the military and police want to prop up the dictatorship" of Yameen. Male, the capital, was quiet today afternoon, although an opposition leader said Yameen's opponents were planning further protests. The Supreme Court of Maldives ordered the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb along with other politicians. The court ordered the immediate release of high-profile prisoners and held that "the prisoners were free until fair trials could be conducted without undue influence", a statement said. The order given Thursday night could be a major blow to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom who has a tight grip on power, controlling institutions like the judiciary, police and the bureaucracy, Fox News reported. The clashes lasted about three hours, with police dispersing rock-throwing crowds using pepper spray and batons. At least one injured police officer was taken to a hospital. It was not immediately clear if anyone was arrested, though some protesters were taken away by police. Atul Keshap, the US ambassador to the Maldives, welcomed the Supreme Court order. "I urge the government and security services to respect this ruling, which bolsters democracy and rule of law for all Maldivians," he wrote on Twitter. India, on Friday, said it was imperative for "all organs" of the Maldivian government to abide by the country's Supreme Court order to release all political prisoners "in the spirit of democracy". In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was "closely monitoring" the evolving situation in the Maldives and also hoped that the safety and security of Indian expatriates in the island nation would be ensured by the Maldivian authorities under "all circumstances". In 2015 Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison, convicted of terrorism charges in a trial widely condemned by international rights groups. Yameen's former deputy, Ahmed Adeeb, who had been jailed on accusations of plotting to kill the president, was also ordered released. Adeeb was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2016, charged with corruption, possession of illegal firearms and planning to kill Yameen by triggering an explosion on his speedboat. However, FBI investigators said they found no evidence of a bomb blast. (With PTI inputs)

Maldives: Exiled ex-president to run for office again

Former vice-president of the Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb, was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 10 years in jail after a closed-door trial was denounced by the opposition as flawed, Adeeb&#39;s lawyer Moosa Siraj&nbsp;said today.&nbsp; 
 
Adeeb, 34, once seen as the successor to President Abdulla Yameen, was arrested on October 24 in a probe into an explosion on Yameen&#39;s speedboat and was accused of possessing firearms. 
 
Parliament impeached Adeeb on November 5 over his alleged role in the explosion. 
 
Adeeb was sentenced on Sunday, a week after ousted former leader Mohamed Nasheed, now in exile in Britain, formed a united opposition group aimed at toppling Yameen. 
 
Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terrorism charges after a trial in 2015 that was widely denounced as politically motivated. 
 
He was given permission to travel to Britain for medical treatment and was last month granted refugee status by the British authorities. 
 
A broad crackdown against political dissent belies the popular image of the Maldives, an island chain with a population of 400,000, as a holiday paradise, with radicalised youth enlisting in significant numbers to fight for Islamic State militants in the Middle East. 
 
Siraj&nbsp;said his sentence was based on three witnesses who said his client possessed two firearms. 
 
&quot;It was not a fair trial. Adeeb did not get a chance to speak and explain his side,&quot; Siraj said. 
 
Government officials were not immediately available for comments. 
 
The newly formed Maldives United Opposition said the process was flawed. 
 
&quot;This deeply unfair sentence was based entirely on hearsay, without the slightest hint of evidence required to prove guilt,&rdquo; spokesman Ahmed Mahloof said.

Ahmed Adeeb is the fourth high-profile politician to be sent to jail since President Yameen Abdul Gayoom came to power in 2013

Former vice-president of the Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb, was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 10 years in jail after a closed-door trial was denounced by the opposition as flawed, Adeeb's lawyer Moosa Siraj said today. Adeeb, 34, once seen as the successor to President Abdulla Yameen, was arrested on October 24 in a probe into an explosion on Yameen's speedboat and was accused of possessing firearms. Parliament impeached Adeeb on November 5 over his alleged role in the explosion. Adeeb was sentenced on Sunday, a week after ousted former leader Mohamed Nasheed, now in exile in Britain, formed a united opposition group aimed at toppling Yameen. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terrorism charges after a trial in 2015 that was widely denounced as politically motivated. He was given permission to travel to Britain for medical treatment and was last month granted refugee status by the British authorities. A broad crackdown against political dissent belies the popular image of the Maldives, an island chain with a population of 400,000, as a holiday paradise, with radicalised youth enlisting in significant numbers to fight for Islamic State militants in the Middle East. Siraj said his sentence was based on three witnesses who said his client possessed two firearms. "It was not a fair trial. Adeeb did not get a chance to speak and explain his side," Siraj said. Government officials were not immediately available for comments. The newly formed Maldives United Opposition said the process was flawed. "This deeply unfair sentence was based entirely on hearsay, without the slightest hint of evidence required to prove guilt,” spokesman Ahmed Mahloof said.

Maldives' former vice-president convicted of terrorism, gets 10 years in prison