China's President Xi Jinping secured Maldivian support on Monday for his country’s "21st-century maritime silk road" initiative. Maldives was the beginning of his South Asian tour. He will today arrive in Sri Lanka and tomorrow will be arriving in India.

The Maldives is best known for its tourist industry but it also straddles major international shipping lanes. Recent years have seen a growth of Chinese investment there as Beijing tries to secure vital trade routes.

In a joint statement, the two countries also said they agreed to cooperate on security issues - a potentially sensitive issue in a region traditionally dominated by India.

"The Maldives welcomes and supports the proposal put forward by China to build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and is prepared to actively participate in relevant cooperation," the statement said. "The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in other areas, such as marine, economy, and security," it added, without elaborating.

The trade route across the Indian Ocean from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Malacca is vital for the Chinese as a considerable amount of their petroleum imports travel through it. Therefore, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives are all vital strategic points for China.