SANYA, China, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- China has been playing an important role in promoting international maritime cooperation and safeguarding the world's oceans, a Maldives official said Wednesday.

Maldives' Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Ahmed Aarim Mohamed, made the remarks during the ongoing 6th Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance in Sanya, a resort city in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.

In particular, "for small island nations such as the Maldives, China's example of aligning coastal development with environmental stewardship is deeply inspiring," he noted.

Mohamed said the Maldives attaches great significance to China's visionary call for a maritime community with a shared future.

"These words speak to a truth that we feel deeply at home: the ocean connects us, sustains us, and binds our futures together," he said.

The Maldives is focusing on its Vision 2040, an ambitious roadmap to build a resilient economy and achieve developed nation status. In this context, "for both the Maldives and China, the ocean is not only a shared space, but also a shared opportunity to advance development, climate resilience, and ecological civilization," he said.

The symposium in Sanya has gathered more than 300 experts, government officials, diplomats and representatives of international organizations from over 30 countries and regions. Enditem