On March 18, 2026, Ambassador Zhang Zuo met with Mrs. Michelle Muscat, President of the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support - Malta (NARDSA).

Mrs. Muscat briefed Ambassador Zhang on the history and current status of the NARDSA, and invited the Ambassador to visit the exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of its founding. Recalling the experiences of Maltese rare disease patients traveling to China for medical treatment and receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies, she expressed gratitude for China's long-standing support and assistance to the NARDSA. She also expressed the hope to promote in-depth cooperation between Malta and China in the field of rare diseases to benefit the two peoples.

Ambassador Zhang stated that mutual assistance is a distinct feature of the traditional friendship between China and Malta. China's recently concluded "Two Sessions" deliberated and approved the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which sets out goals to promote high-quality population development, accelerate the building of a Healthy China, and advance Traditional Chinese Medicine globally. President Xi Jinping has emphasized that building a Healthy China by 2035 is a strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee, and the 15th Five-Year Plan period is crucial for achieving this goal. This creates new opportunities for China-Malta cooperation in health. China looks forward to strengthening exchanges with the NARDSA to enhance the well-being of the people of both countries.