The China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took effect on Wednesday, the first day of 2025, with more than 95 percent of products traded between the two countries exempted from tariffs.
In east China's Shandong Province, one of the country's major exporters to the Maldives, a local electronics manufacturer expects its exports to the country to rise by 20 percent under the agreement.
"The agreement will improve our products' export competitiveness. We are now in negotiations with our Maldivian clients for further cooperation to expand our export scale. With tariff reductions and exemptions under the FTA, we anticipate a growth of approximately 20 percent in our exports throughout 2025," said Zhao Zhengcong, chief engineer of the company.
The agreement will benefit a wide range of products traded between the two countries including ship, steel, furniture, ceramics, vegetables and fruits from China, and seafood, nuts, wooden ornaments from the Maldives.
"After the China-Maldives FTA takes effect, over 70 percent of the tax items from the Maldives will be exempted from tariffs. Shandong's major beneficiary industries include plastic products, steel products, and automotive parts. Preliminary calculation suggests that in the first year after the agreement come into effect, Shandong enterprises will save approximately 8 million yuan in tariff cuts and exemptions from exports to the Maldives," said Bi Haijun, director of the tariff department of Qingdao Customs in Shandong.
China-Maldives free trade agreement takes effect
China-Maldives free trade agreement takes effect
More than 100 representatives of the Chinese-Filipino community and descendants of war veterans gathered at Manila's Chinese Cemetery on Tuesday to pay tribute to overseas Chinese who fought against the Japanese occupation during World War II.
The memorial ceremony was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and other officials of the embassy.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Mike Lu, or Lu Shuiya, a veteran of the Philippine Chinese Anti-Japanese Guerilla Force, known as Wha-Chi in the Philippines. Every year during the Qingming Festival which falls on April 4 this year, he would visit the cemetery to honor his fallen comrades.
"We will not forget, the people will not forget, the motherland will not forget," said Lu in a speech.
Another veteran, 102-year-old Wang Chenli, also participated in the ceremony.
Alongside Ambassador Huang and other dignitaries, the two elderly fighters laid wreaths and bowed in remembrance at the monument dedicated to the Chinese resistance fighters.
Following Japan's occupation of the Philippines in 1942, overseas Chinese in the country set up resistance groups such as the Philippine-Chinese Anti-Japanese Force and the Philippine-Chinese Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Forces, and latter is also known as Wha-Chi.
Wha-Chi played an impressive role in the fight against Japanese aggressors in over three years of the occupation.
The unit killed, wounded, and captured more than 2,000 enemy troops, at a cost of 77 casualties among its own ranks. After the war, the Chinese-Filipino community erected multiple memorials to commemorate these wartime heroes.
"Many people do not know that the Chinese minority in the Philippines was very fearless and very consistent in resisting Japanese militarism during World War II. We should not forget the war history in order to preserve and uphold peace," said Wilson Lee Flores, a well-known columnist in the Philippines.
Chinese WWII resistance fighters in Philippines commemorated
