China opens embassy in Male

China opened a full diplomatic mission in the Maldives Tuesday, heading South Asian summit in the Indian Ocean archipelago, an official said.
Beijing established the embassy in the capital Male as eight South Asian leaders meet in Maldives for the 17th summit in the southern city of Addu, a former secret base of the British Royal Navy during World War II.
"They (the Chinese) wanted to open the embassy before the summit," Maldivian Foreign Secretary Ahmed Naseer told AFP.