China congratulates Maldives on successful election

China vowed to "deepen cooperation" with the Maldives Tuesday and congratulated opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his election victory that ousted Beijing-friendly strongman Abdulla Yameen.

Solih, a candidate from the main opposition alliance, won 58 percent of the vote on Sunday in a surprise defeat for Yameen, who had cultivated closer ties with China and borrowed heavily from Beijing to invest in infrastructure.

Beijing loaned Yameen's government hundreds of millions of dollars for projects like the new "China-Maldives Friendship Bridge" from the airport to the capital Male, which opened in August.

The loans stoked fears among Western countries and India, a long-time backer of the Maldives, about China's growing influence in the island nation that straddles east-west trade routes.

"We are willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate our traditional friendship and deepen our cooperation to benefit our two countries and peoples," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.

He told a regular press briefing that China hopes the country would maintain the "consistency and stability" of its policies to create a welcoming environment for Chinese businesses.

Yameen has said he would hand over power when his term ends on November 17 and ensure a smooth transition in the 1,200-island nation, popular with foreign tourists for its white sands and blue lagoons.

Solih's victory was a major surprise, with Yameen's main political rivals either in prison or in exile, media coverage of the opposition sparse and monitors and the opposition predicting vote-rigging.

India, competing with China to retain its influence in the region, was the first to "heartily congratulate" Solih.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," the foreign ministry said.

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