China and Malta signed three documents Tuesday intended to strengthen bilateral cooperation in culture and tourism.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who is on a state visit, and Maltese Prime Minister Edward Fenech Adami witnessed the signing of the documents on the establishment of a cultural center in Malta, cultural cooperation between the two countries for 2001- 2003, and a plan to organize trips for Chinese tourists to Malta.
Jiang and Adami held talks before the signing ceremony. They exchanged views on the development of bilateral relations and on some major international issues.
The Chinese president said China and Malta should make joint efforts to push forward bilateral relations in political, economic and cultural areas.
"I'm fully confident of the development of Chinese-Maltese relations in the future," Jiang said.
Adami said Jiang's current visit to Malta will strengthen bilateral relations and expressed congratulations on Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.
He mentioned his last visit to China in 1994 and said he hoped to visit China again. He stressed that his government will firmly uphold the one-China policy.
Malta is the last leg of Jiang's five-nation tour of Europe, which also took him to Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. He is expected to wrap up the visit Wednesday.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/25/2001)
