Xi congratulates Muizzu on election as Maldives president

President Xi Jinping has congratulated Mohamed Muizzu on his election as president of the Maldives, saying he is willing to work with Muizzu to promote bilateral relations.

In a congratulatory message sent to Muizzu on Tuesday, Xi said that China and the Maldives enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges. The two countries are not only sincere and trustworthy friends who help each other, they are also partners who join hands to pursue shared development and prosperity, he said.

Noting that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Maldives relations, Xi said he is willing to work with Muizzu to carry forward their traditional friendship, deepen pragmatic cooperation and push for new progress in the future-oriented, all-round friendly and cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Muizzu, 45, candidate of the coalition of the Progressive Party of Maldives and the People's National Congress, won the presidential runoff on Saturday.

The election witnessed a head-to-head contest between incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Muizzu, who is also the mayor of Male, the capital city.

Muizzu won nearly 54 percent of the votes, while Solih received about 46 percent, according to figures released by the Election Commission of the Maldives.

No candidate won more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round of the presidential election on Sept 9, during which Muizzu secured over 46 percent of the votes, while Solih followed with 39 percent. Solih congratulated Muizzu on social media after the final results were declared on Saturday.

Solih, 61, will serve as caretaker president until his successor is inaugurated on November 17. Muizzu will serve as president of the Maldives for a five-year term, according to media reports.

Xinhua contributed to this story.