Chinese, Maltese FMs meet on sidelines of UNGA session

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Tuesday with Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta, Wang said that the mutual respect, equal treatment, concern for each other's core concerns, and understanding of their chosen path and development model have all contributed to the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.

The solid mutual trust established between the two countries has provided an important political guarantee for bilateral relations, Wang said, adding that China always believes that all countries, big or small, are equal and supports Malta in advancing national governance and economic and social development based on its national conditions.

China appreciates Malta's firm adherence to the one-China policy, its adherence to the political commitment it made upon establishing diplomatic relations with China, its positive and friendly view of China's development, and its objective and fair attitude on China-related issues, Wang said.

China is ready to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Malta in an all-round way and push bilateral relations to a new level, he added.

Wang also congratulated Malta on its upcoming appointment as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2023 to 2024. Calling Malta a responsible member of the international community and a stabilizing factor in the European Union (EU), Wang said that China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Malta in multilateral affairs.

Wishing the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a full success, Borg noted that Malta firmly adheres to the one-China policy and believes that Taiwan is part of China.

The Malta-China relationship is not an expedient, and the two sides have always understood each other and supported each other's chosen development path, Borg said.

Since establishing diplomatic ties 50 years ago, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields have made great progress, he said, adding that Malta supports and is ready to participate in the Belt and Road cooperation, and looks forward to taking the anniversary as an opportunity to push for greater development of bilateral relations.

As a positive force in the EU, Borg said, Malta is committed to promoting EU-China cooperation, noting that both Malta and China share similar positions on various issues, advocate equality and mutual benefit, and oppose double standards.

Malta looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China within the framework of the UN Security Council and jointly addressing global challenges in such fields as climate change and security, he said.

Borg also spoke highly of the positive outcomes of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Wang noted that not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from teachers and students of the China Corner of St. Margaret College Secondary School in Malta, encouraging more Maltese teachers, students and young people to actively engage in bilateral cultural exchanges, promote mutual learning between the two civilizations, and carry forward the great tradition of friendship between the Chinese and Maltese people.

China is ready to expand exchanges and cooperation with Malta in culture, education, traditional Chinese medicine, sports and other fields to consolidate the social and public opinion foundation for bilateral friendship, Wang added.