Maltese President George Vella and Prime Minister Robert Abela Meet with Yang Jiechi

On December 7, 2021 local time, Maltese President George Vella and Prime Minister Robert Abela met with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi who was in transit in Malta, respectively.

Yang Jiechi said, for nearly half a century after the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Malta have always respected and sincerely treated each other, engaged in friendly cooperation, and offered each other firm support on major issues, setting an example of living together in amity between countries with different social systems and cultural traditions. President Xi Jinping has exchanged letters with President Vella twice this year, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations. Next year, China and Malta will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. China is willing to take this opportunity and work with Malta to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, accommodate each other's concerns, solidly conduct Belt and Road cooperation, promote cooperation and exchanges in such fields as clean energy, infrastructure, marine ecology, environmental protection and people-to-people, and step up coordination and mutual support on multilateral affairs. China thanks Malta for supporting the Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

Yang Jiechi said, strengthening communication and expanding cooperation between China and the EU in the face of global challenges not only serve the interests of both sides, but also benefit international cooperation against challenges. China is willing to work with the EU to advance China-EU relations in the right direction based on mutual respect.

The Maltese leaders extended congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and lauded the development achievements of China. Noting the long history of friendship between Malta and China, the two leaders said, Malta follows the principles of respecting all countries' own choices and non-interfering in internal affairs, adheres to the one-China policy, commits itself to widening pragmatic cooperation, and supports Beijing in hosting the Winter Olympic Games. Malta will join hands with China in organizing events marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, in a bid to further enhance the level of mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries. Malta actively supports the sound and stable development of EU-China relations.