China values its ties with Malta and is ready to push bilateral friendly cooperation to score more fruitful results, China's senior party leader Wu Guanzheng said in Valletta Monday.

Wu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said this Monday in a meeting with Prime Minister of Malta and leader of the Nationalist Party Lawrence Gonzi.

Wu, also secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee, said both sides have stuck to mutual respect and support, equality and sincere cooperation, making bilateral ties enjoy a long-term and remarkable progress, since establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972.

He noted that the CPC treasures its friendly ties with the Nationalist Party and is willing to further strengthen mutual in-depth exchanges and cooperation on the basis of principles of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's affairs.

Gonzi said the Malta-China practical cooperation has scored obvious progress in the political, economic, trade, cultural and educational sectors through joint efforts and that there exist broad prospects for further cooperation.

So long as both sides stick to sincere cooperation, he said, there would be better prospects for bilateral cooperation.

The prime minister spoke highly of China's economic achievements, saying the Maltese government will stick to the one-China policy.

In talks on Monday with Deputy Prime Minister and deputy leader of the Nationalist Party Tonio Borg, Wu said the good political ties between the two nations have laid down a solid foundation for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China has listed Malta as its tourist destination for Chinese citizens and set up a cultural center in Malta, he said, adding this would serve to give a bigger push to bilateral in-depth cooperation exchanges in the economic, trade, tourist and cultural sectors.

Wu said China will continue to encourage its enterprises to run businesses in various forms in Malta, so as to make bilateral economic and trade cooperation score new progress.

Borg said the Malta-China friendly cooperative ties have become a model of relationship between a small country and a big one which undertakes friendly exchanges and cooperation that yields fruitful results.

In recent years, he said, exchanges of high-level visit have been frequent, economic and trade ties smooth, and cooperation in the cultural, education and justice sectors further deepened.

He said the Maltese side has paid great importance to its ties with China, and is ready to push the existing friendly relations to a new high.

Also Monday, Wu met with leader of the Malta Labor Party Alfred Sant, giving positive comments on the party's unremitting efforts in promoting the China-Malta ties.

He said the CPC is willing to further tighten the friendly exchanges and cooperation with all friendly parties in Malta, including the Labor Party.

Malta is the first leg of Wu's four-nation good-will visit in Europe, which will also take him to Sweden, Finland and Belarus, before he flies back to Beijing on September 28. He will conclude his Malta tour before leaving for Sweden Tuesday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2005)