Beijing, 16 Jan (CNBC) -- According to a report by the Voice of China of the Central Radio and Television Corporation in its "60 Minutes at Noon," this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta. On January 10, President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Maltese President Vera. Xi Jinping pointed out that in the past 50 years, no matter how the international situation has changed, China-Maldives relations have always developed healthily and steadily, the friendship between the two countries has been deepening, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. In the face of challenges such as the international financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have always stood by and supported each other. China-Maldives relations have become a model for relations between countries of different sizes, different social systems and different histories and cultures.
The special program "Great Power Diplomacy" is launched in this issue: "Why can a small country known as the "heart of the Mediterranean" become an old friend and good friend of China?" ——Interview with Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai.
Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai (Source: Website of the Chinese Embassy in Malta)
Yangguang Reporter: Hello to You, thank you for accepting an exclusive interview with our program "Great Power Diplomacy". On January 10, President Xi Jinping pointed out in a telephone conversation with Maltese President Vera that China and Malaysia are old friends and good friends who can stand the test of time. Why is it said that Zhongma is an old friend and a good friend? What kind of friendly exchanges between China and Malaysia have?
Yu Dunhai: It's a pleasure to be interviewed by you. As you said, President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Maltese President Vera on January 10. Careful friends should find that this is the first phone call between President Xi Jinping and foreign heads of state at the beginning of the new year, which also fully reflects the great importance we attach to China-Malaysia relations. A big background of this call is the end of the month, January 31, China and Malaysia will usher in the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
President Xi Jinping pointed out during the call that China and Malaysia are old friends and good friends that can stand the test of time. Why? In 1972, the leaders of the older generation of China and Malaysia jointly established China-Malaysia relations. Over the past 50 years, no matter how the international situation has changed, the two sides have always respected each other and treated each other sincerely, becoming a model for relations between countries of different sizes, different social systems, and different histories and cultures.
When China and Malaysia established diplomatic relations, Malta had just shaken off British colonial rule and won national independence, so it can be said that everything is in ruins, the country's economy is facing transformation, and a large number of workers are facing unemployment. At that time, China's economy was actually very difficult, but we resolutely decided to lend a helping hand to Malta and helped Malta build major livelihood projects such as dry docks and breakwaters, as well as basic industries such as textile factories, glass factories, and sugar factories. At that time, the dry dock built was 300,000 tons, while China only had 25,000 tons at that time, which fully reflected the spirit of selfless help we Chinese to our friends. According to the recollection of Mr. Renault, chairman of the Malaysian-Chinese Friendship Association, more than 2,000 Chinese engineers and technicians participated in the aid project at that time, and it took nearly 6 years to build the largest dry dock in the Mediterranean region at that time. Dry docks still play an important role in the Maltese economy today and have become a monument to the friendship between China and Malaysia. Almost everyone I met in Malta knew about this wonderful past and affectionately referred to the dry dock as the "Red China Dockyard". During the construction of the dry dock, two Chinese engineers, martyr Xu Huizhong and Comrade Gu Yanzhao, sacrificed their precious lives. Their families decided to bury them in Malta, hoping that they would be able to see for themselves the completion of the dry dock and the continuous development of the friendship between China and Malaysia.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Malta has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle, and although Malta is a Western country, it has always been able to uphold the principle of objectivity and fairness and understand and respect China's position on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns. In 2011, with malta's assistance, we successfully evacuated nearly 5,000 Chinese citizens from Libya, reflecting the friendship between the two countries.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the two countries have watched over each other and overcome difficulties together. It is believed that the relations between the two countries will usher in greater opportunities for development after the epidemic.
On September 7, 2021, Ambassador Yu Dunhai visited The No. 6 Dry Dock of China Aid ToMa (Source: Website of the Chinese Embassy in Malta)
Cnying: We have learned that Malta not only has the first overseas Chinese cultural centers announced by the Chinese government in Europe, but also cultural institutions such as Traditional Chinese Medicine Centers and Confucius Institutes. What is the perception of Chinese culture among the Maltese people? What are the achievements and interesting stories of china-Malaysia people-to-people exchanges?
Yu Dunhai: Although China and Malaysia are far apart, they are separated by the friendship between the two peoples, and it can be said that the cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia are at the forefront of China and European countries. In the past year since I took office, I have deeply felt that the Maltese people love Chinese culture very much. China has set up Europe's first cultural center and the first Chinese medicine center in Malta, and the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta has been established for 10 years, which are all witnesses to the friendship between the two peoples.
Learning Chinese is becoming increasingly popular locally in Malta. Many local primary and secondary schools have Chinese courses. I was once with the former President of Malta, Preka, at a Chinese-day event. I used the phrase "stop the war for the sake of wu" to explain the word "wu", indicating that the Chinese nation has traditionally been a peace-loving nation, and the students listened to it with relish.
The Chinese cultural center is arguably a household name in Malta. "Happy Spring Festival", "Tianya At This Time", "Cloud Tour China", "Imagine China" Children's Painting Competition, China Kite Festival, etc. have become popular Chinese cultural brand activities for local people. President Vera has repeatedly spoken highly of the Chinese Cultural Center in public.
In the nearly 30 years since its establishment, the TCM Center has become a well-known TCM medical institution in Malta and the Mediterranean region, and so far we have sent a total of 17 groups of medical teams, with a total of about 200,000 patients treated, and many Maltese dignitaries have visited the TCM Centre for diagnosis and treatment. I often hear from the doctors at the TCM Center that they are amazed at the skill of our doctors and the miraculous efficacy of TCM. Therefore, the TCM Center has effectively promoted the spread of TCM culture.
Malta Chinese Cultural Centre (Source: Website of the Chinese Embassy in Malta)
Reporter: Ambassador Yu, with the Beijing Winter Olympics and The Winter Paralympic Games approaching, what are the expectations of all walks of life in Malta for the Winter Olympics?
Yu Dunhai: In my contacts with all walks of life in Malaysia, they all actively supported and looked forward to China's successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and they opposed the politicization of the Olympic Games. During his phone call with President Xi Jinping, President Vera also wished the Beijing Winter Olympics a smooth success. We look forward to working with all parties to hold a simple, safe and wonderful Winter Olympic Games and carry forward the Olympic spirit.