On March 25, 2026, Ambassador Zhang Zuo met with Mr. Kenneth Farrugia, CEO of the Malta Financial Services Authority, and other officials.

Ambassador Zhang stated that the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for accelerating the development of a financial powerhouse, expanding opportunities for two-way investment cooperation, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative to high standards, thereby creating opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Malta. He noted that the prospects for deepening financial cooperation are vast. China is willing to work hand in hand with Malta to pursue common development, tap into the potential for financial cooperation, and expand collaboration in areas such as fintech and digital finance, thereby injecting greater momentum into each country’s modernization process.

Mr. Farrugia noted that Malta and China have long enjoyed friendly relations, and Malta is optimistic about China’s development. He expressed hope to further strengthen practical cooperation between the two countries, expand exchanges in banking, securities, and insurance sectors, and leverage Malta’s strategic position as a bridgehead to help elevate EU-China relations and Malta-China strategic collaboration to new heights.