Overview

Two‑day mission led by Sanya municipal authorities visited the Maldives on 27‑28 October 2026 to deepen cooperation in the blue economy, yacht services, fisheries and aquaculture. The delegation comprised officials from the Sanya Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Sanya Central Business District Administration, the Sanya Investment Promotion Bureau and the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau.

Key Meetings and Discussions

  • On 27 October, the delegation met Alshaali Marine and Gulf Craft Maldives to discuss trade in yacht components, maintenance, refurbishment, new yacht sales and duty‑free imports, aiming to establish a yacht manufacturing and maintenance facility in Sanya.
  • The same day, officials met the Maldives Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources to strengthen links between fishing ports, develop trade routes for tuna, skipjack and other seafood, and set up processing in Sanya for export to global markets.
  • Additional talks covered aviation and tourism, tropical fruit and vegetable trade, and green‑energy opportunities.
  • On 28 October, the China‑Maldives Investment Cooperation Forum was held in Malé, where the Sanya Investment Promotion Bureau presented a keynote on blue‑economy partnerships, highlighting the policy advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) and Sanya’s industrial base.

Agreements Signed

1. MOU on Trade and Economic Cooperation – Signed between the Sanya Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Sanya Investment Promotion Bureau and the Maldives Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade. The MOU outlines a long‑term framework for collaboration in trade and investment promotion, fisheries and aquaculture, the blue economy and business matchmaking, with a focus on encouraging two‑way investment.

2. Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement – Executed between the Sanya Investment Promotion Bureau, the Sanya Central Business District Administration and Mariculture Maldives. The agreement commits both parties to breed tropical aquaculture species, develop large‑scale marine farming, and open two‑way trade channels for fresh seafood. Mariculture Maldives plans to set up operations in Sanya, leveraging the FTP’s favorable policies to expand into the Asia‑Pacific market.

Additional Business Engagements

  • Face‑to‑face meetings were held with Island Aviation Services Ltd (operator of the national airline Maldivian) and Leo Trading to explore further opportunities in aviation, tourism and green‑energy projects.

Statements from Delegation

Tong Liyan, head of the Sanya delegation and Party Secretary of the Sanya Investment Promotion Bureau, emphasized that overseas outreach must translate into concrete trade flows and industrial investment, noting that Sanya will provide comprehensive support for businesses entering each other’s markets and will invite Maldivian firms to visit Sanya’s industrial parks, ports and business environment.

Strategic Context

The mission builds on a prior visit by a Maldivian trade delegation to Sanya in August 2026 and seeks to turn complementary maritime strengths into commercial success, using the Hainan FTP’s policy incentives and Sanya’s coastal assets to create new market bridges across the Indian Ocean.