The Mediterranean blue waves ripple year-round, and Malta’s sea breeze whispers day and night. Each year on the occasion of the Qingming Festival, a traditional time for the Chinese people to honor the deceased, the Chinese Embassy in Malta organizes commemorative ceremonies in honor of Xu Huizhong and Gu Yanzhao, who gave their lives in the construction of Malta’s Dry Dock No. 6. On this beautiful island nation, known as the heart of the Mediterranean, a towering “Red China Dock” stands in quiet testimony to a journey of overseas assistance that transcended mountains and seas. Chinese and Maltese friends come together each year at the Addolorata Cemetery with deep reverence, paying tribute to their courage and loyalty, their selfless dedication, and their sense of duty to the homeland and nation.

The Grand Harbour witnessed their loyalty and commitment. In the 1970s, leaders of China and Malta, with strategic foresight, jointly established friendly relations between the two countries. At a time when China’s own economic and technological conditions were still developing, it nonetheless extended a resolute helping hand, aiding Malta in building a dry dock, breakwater, glass factory, textile mill, and a series of other projects. The 300,000-ton dry dock—then unprecedented even in China itself—was the People’s Republic’s first major overseas hydraulic engineering assistance project, embodying China’s sincere aspiration to support the development of friendly nations. More than a thousand Chinese engineers and technicians left their homes and families, crossed oceans, and arrived in Malta, dedicating their passion, sweat, and ingenuity to overcoming one technical challenge after another.

The Grand Harbour bears witness to their perseverance and sacrifice. Xu Huizhong, a skilled crane specialist, arrived in Malta in 1974 and remained steadfast at his post, demonstrating meticulous professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility. On March 16, 1979, he was struck by a falling crane nut during an inspection and died in the line of duty. He was posthumously awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika by the President of Malta. Gu Yanzhao, Deputy Chief Commander of the project, likewise arrived in 1974 and remained rooted on the front lines, dedicating his entire energy to every inch of the dock’s construction. In 1979, he passed away from illness brought on by overwork at the age of 46. They have both devoted the prime of their lives to the cause of China–Malta friendship.

The Grand Harbour also witnessed their sense of responsibility and mission. Faced with immense difficulties—karst fissures and cavities, massive excavation volumes, and frequent water inrush risks—the project encountered widespread skepticism from some Western quarters, with predictions of inevitable failure. Yet our pioneers from the project team refused to yield. Through repeated geological surveys and meticulous refinement of construction plans, and with the resolution to “move a mountain,” they excavated the dock basin and poured concrete, ultimately bringing into being a 300,000-ton dry dock that stands to this day—the only one in Malta that is fully watertight. The project not only advanced Malta’s modernization and development,  but was affectionately named the “Red China Dock” by the Maltese people, becoming a most prominent symbol of China–Malta friendship.

Loyal souls rest in green hills; heroic spirits are honored by the blue sea. The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta conformed to the historical trend of progress and represented a victory for forces striving for national independence and against hegemony and colonial rule. Evidently, this bilateral relationship has brought tangible benefits to both peoples and a positive impact on the world. Our pioneers, who lived by their aspiration and mission, demonstrated China’s sense of responsibility as a major country on the international stage with confidence and dedication. Today, they would surely be heartened to see that our cooperation, including Shanghai Electric Power’s projects, has become a benchmark for China–Europe collaboration in the energy sector; China has established in Malta its first cultural center and first traditional Chinese medicine center in Europe; Confucius Institutes and Science China Corner are warmly received; and China–Malta friendship is thriving with renewed vitality. The best way to honor the deceased is to remember them and carry forward their legacy, by advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and opening new broader prospects for our bilateral relations.

The spirit of heroes endures through the ages, while China and Malta have consistently pursued peaceful development. China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, while Malta upholds its policy of neutrality; both countries attach great importance to sovereignty and independence. Our pioneers lived in a time when our countries shared hardships and endeavors, embodying solidarity and fostering bonds of mutual understanding between peoples. After careful consideration, the families of the two chose to lay them to rest in Malta—a decision also to be remembered. Today, they would surely be heartened to see the longstanding friendship and fruitful cooperation between China and Malta endure. The internationalist spirit of the pioneers shines like a beacon over the Mediterranean. The best way to honor them is to put people first, act for mutual benefit, and translate our remembrance into concrete actions that bring the two peoples closer together.

Their glory shines as brightly as the sun and moon. As President Xi Jinping has noted, “China and Malta are old and good friends that have withstood the test of time.” Over more than five decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Malta bilateral relations have maintained sound and steady development, with mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. Our pioneers, who upheld justice and mutual respect, would surely be heartened to see that China and Malta are jointly advancing openness and win-win cooperation as well as fair and equitable modernization; Malta is playing an active role in promoting China–EU relations; and both countries continue to safeguard the overall direction of China–EU cooperation. The best way to honor our forerunners is to carry forward their commitment by building China–Malta relations into a new model of relations between countries of different sizes, social systems, and histories and cultures.

The landscape they helped shape grows ever more splendid. The Chinese engineers and constructors feared no hardship and placed the greater good above all, embodying boundless dedication in advancing modernization together. Today, they would surely be heartened to see that, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, more than 1.4 billion Chinese people are forging ahead on a new journey of Chinese modernization, while Malta has entered the ranks of developed countries. President Xi Jinping and President Myriam Spiteri Debono maintain correspondence, providing important guidance for bilateral ties. With close alignment between China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Malta’s Vision 2050, we are ushering an even brighter future for China-Malta relations. The best way to honor our heroes is to shoulder responsibilities with dedication, working together to build a just world of common development, and advancing a diverse and flourishing model of global modernization.

Their achievements are recorded in history while their original aspiration endures. The two engineers carried forward the past while breaking new ground, exemplifying initiative in promoting connectivity. Today, they would surely be heartened to see that, in the face of profound changes unseen in a century, China and Malta remain like-minded partners on the international stage, firmly upholding true multilateralism. For decades, the Chinese Embassy in Malta has paid tribute at their graves year after year, and the peoples of both countries remember them across generations. While new faces join the commemorations, what remains unchanged is the enduring friendship forged through their sacrifice. The best way to honor them is to embrace a global vision, uphold fundamental principles while pursuing innovation, and translate this legacy into responsibility— contributing to human progress and global harmony, and working together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Rest in peace, your names shall live on with China–Malta relations. Long live this friendship, and may the two peoples join hands to create an even brighter future. This article is dedicated, in everlasting remembrance, to Xu Huizhong and Gu Yanzhao, who gave their lives in the construction of Malta’s Red China Dock.