Pompeo says US will open embassy in Maldives for first time

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington will open an embassy in the Maldives for the first time, during a five-day Asia trip attempting to counterbalance the rise of China in the region.

"Getting this facility open won't happen overnight but it's worth it," Pompeo told a news conference on an island resort near the archipelago's capital Male.

"It's the right thing to do. Your role here in the Indo-Pacific and in the international community is increasingly important."