Malta and China Willing to Strenghten Trade and Economic Ties
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malta
09 January 2012
Malta and
China witnessed a 25% increase in trade statistics during the past three years,
despite the international economic crisis. During a meeting between Deputy
Prime Minister Dr Tonio Borg and Foreign Affairs Minister of the People’s
Republic of China, H.E. Yang Jiechi, it was agreed that further progress can be
registered and that both countries will work towards this objective.
This
first visit ever of a Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister in Malta marked the 40th
anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries. A series of
events will be organised during the year to commemorate this.
Minister Yang Jiechi expressed his satisfaction
towards Malta’s role within the European Union in promoting EU-China
Partnership. Both sides discussed the uprisings in North Africa during the past
months. The Chinese Minister said that more Chinese tourists and students will
be encouraged to visit Malta, which he described as a safe place and very
attractive for investment. He specifically referred to the sea transport,
education, financial services, high value added manufacturing, energy and
tourism as areas that can experience growth in the coming years between the two
countries.