On August 27, 2026, the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Establishing Friendly Exchange Relations between Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, and Marsaxlokk, Malta, was held in Zhoushan. Ambassador Zhang Zuo delivered remarks via video link. Mayor Pan Yinhao of Zhoushan and Mayor Steven Grech of Marsaxlokk attended the ceremony and signed the agreement.

Ambassador Zhang noted that China and Malta have always followed the principle of mutual respect and equality. He expressed the hope that the two cities would pool their strengths through cooperation, enhance policy coordination, facilitate personnel exchanges, and broaden exchanges and cooperation in various fields, thereby jointly nurturing the tree of friendship and cultivating the fruits of cooperation. He hoped that the sister-city relationship would take root among the people and help strengthen the bonds of shared interests between China and Malta. Ambassador Zhang also looked forward to seeing the two cities, though separated by mountains and seas, honor their commitment to each other and work hand in hand to implement the friendly exchange agreement. The Chinese Embassy in Malta will continue to support the two cities in creating new highlights of cooperation and writing a new chapter of sustainable development, turning their friendly exchanges into a vivid example of translating the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries into practice.