On 13th February 2026, H.E. Ambassador Zhang Zuo and H.E. President Spiteri Debono attended an event held in Grand Hotel Excelsior to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Hon. Owen Bonnici, Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts, and the Local Government, Hon. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Minister for European Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme, Auditor General Charles Deguara, were among those present.

Ambassador Zhang underlined that by 2025, China has taken steady steps toward modernization, and that China-Malta friendship has advanceed under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries. At the beginning of 2026, the two sides successfully held diplomatic consultations and a Joint Economic and Trade Commission meeting, marking a strong start for China-Malta relations this year. Facing the accelerating changes at the global stage, China is ready to strengthen strategic coordination with Malta, expand bilateral and multilateral exchanges, for the benefit and well-being of the people of both countries, and to create a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between nations that differ in sizes.

President Spiteri Debono extended her sincere New Year greetings to the Chinese people, emphasizing that the key to Malta-China relations lies in the profound friendship between the two peoples. Malta would like to work with China to promote cooperation in areas such as trade, education, and tourism, further deepening the traditional friendly relations and benefiting the people of both countries.