Wikileaks has published the fist cable sent from the American embassy in Malta - an account given two years ago of the visit to Malta Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

It describes how Mr Xi arrived in Malta February 21, 2009 for an official two day visit during which he met with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and announced a grant of €580,000 for Malta to purchase Chinese products and services.

Paul Sant, MFA Desk Officer for China, was quoted as saying that the grant was "a gesture of China's appreciation" for the close historic relations between Malta and China, which dated back to the 1972 when Malta, under a Labour government, recognized China. Sant indicated that the grant would go into a fund that would be created to foster economic and technical cooperation. He said that there were no specific projects under consideration thus far, and that all projects would need to be agreed to by both parties.

The cable also reproduces comments on the visit given by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and gives background on relations between China and Malta, including the fact that China maintains two large and active Chinese Cultural Institutes, one in Paris and the second in Valletta.

It also points out that a month earlier, Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, commander of the AFM went to Beijing for a five-day visit at the invitation of China's Chief of Military.

Vassallo told an embassy official that his visit was unrelated to the visit of China's Vice-President, and did not result in the signing of any agreements or arms sales.

Vassallo added that he had been "amazed" by the red-carpet treatment he was given during the visit, including multiple-gun salutes normally "reserved for heads of state".