Kong Xianhua, the ambassador from China, one of Maldives’ most important bilateral partners, paid a special visit on Sunday to the office of the Sun Siyam Media.
During his morning visit to the building which houses Sun Online, SSTV and Sun Play, Kong met with top officials from the SS Media and toured its newsroom and studios.
Speaking to a reporter after his visit, Kong said that SS Media is among Maldivian media stations that works closely with the Chinese embassy. He thanked SS Media for its cooperation and support towards strengthening relations between Maldives and China.
Chinese Ambassador Kong Xianhua visits SS Media on November 16, 2025. (Sun Photo/Ahmed Firyal)
“This is one of the friendliest medias in the Maldives towards my embassy. My visit here is like visiting a house of an old friend. And I am really gratitude to the constant support of Sun Siyam Media to our embassy, also to the China-Maldives bilateral friendship,” he said. “It is amazing that in this wonderful building, there’s so many studios, so many hardworking employees. I think this is the secret why Sun Siyam Media is such an influential and successful media.”
Kong said that there’s huge potential for SS Media as well as other media stations to work with the Chinese embassy.
He said he hopes to continue to work closely with the Maldivian media.
Chinese Ambassador Kong Xianhua visits SS Media on November 16, 2025. (Sun Photo/Ahmed Firyal)
Kong proposed more training and exchange programs between SS Media and Chinese media stations to enhance capacity.
He also expressed hopes of raising awareness regarding educational opportunities available for Maldivian students in China, and seeing more and more Maldivians make use of these opportunities.
“I do hope that through our cooperation, more and more people will get familiar regarding higher education in China. And will be more and more interested in going to China to pursue higher education,” he said.
Chinese Ambassador Kong Xianhua (L) meets with SS Media's CEO Mohamed Asif (R) on November 16, 2025. (Sun Photo/Ahmed Firyal)
SS Media’s CEO Mohamed ‘Mondhu’ Asif expressed delight at Kong’s visit to the media station.
He said that the two sides discussed collaborating on a number of initiatives beneficial to the Maldives.
He also thanked Kong for his assurance of continued support towards the development of SS Media and its staff.
SS Media is one of the longest running media houses in the Maldives, and its various platforms enjoy a high-level of popularity among Maldivian people.