The Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday evening in Paola, Malta.

Malta's Minister for Energy and Health Konrad Mizzi, Chinese Ambassador to Malta Cai Jinbiao were among the over 200 Chinese and Maltese guests who attended the ceremony.

Through a video clip, Ma Xiaowei, Deputy Director of Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission, expressed his warm congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the MRCTCM, and also extended his gratitude to the Malta government of Malta, the health ministry and people from all walks of life for the care and support given to the center.

Chinese Ambassador Cai addressed that in total 11 medical teams have served at the MRCTCM over the past 20 years, and their excellent service, top experts and effective treatment have helped the center earn a good reputation among Maltese and people of other nationalities, he hopes the center would develop more about the education function from which more and more Maltese people can benefit.

Malta's Minister Mizzi also expressed his gratitude to the center for 20 years' hard work and his expectation that one day the center could be the most influent Chinese medicine center in Malta as well as in the Mediterranean region.

During the event, Wang Xiaolan, director of the MRCTCM, announced the winners of a Writing competition of "Chinese Doctors through My Eyes" which was launched 2 months ago.

Kurt Sciberras, 22, who serves in the government, won the first Prize. He told Xinhua that his story was about he and his mother came to the center for Chinese acupunctures at the first time, he was really impressed by the Chinese traditional medicine.

The MRCTCM was officially established in 1994 by the Chinese government and Maltese government. The Health Department of China's eastern Jiangsu Province is responsible for dispatching medical teams biennially.

In the past two decades, the MRCTCM received a total of 140,000 patients including local people, foreign visitors, diplomats, Chinese residing in Malta as well.

Apart from providing Chinese medical services, the MRCTCM has also actively carried out lectures on traditional Chinese medicine, provided courses on Chinese self-Massage.

Two of the MRCTCM doctors work outside of the Center, running outpatient services at two state-run hospitals, one on Malta and the other, Gozo General Hospital on its sister island, Gozo.

When it opened in 2008, the traditional Chinese Medicine clinic at Malta's national hospital of Mater Dei was the first of its kind at a European public hospital. The MRCTCM also becomes the teaching practice base for some Chinese Medicine colleges in Europe.