Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi arrived in Malta this evening on a two-day visit.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi soon after landing in Malta, Mr Yang described Malta as a country that was very friendly towards China.

He hoped that his visit will help deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Dr Gonzi said that Mr Yang's presence was a strong sign of the deep relationship between the two countries, this being the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

These relations continued to grow politically and were consolidated by the visit

Dr Gonzi hoped the relations would expand into tourism, services, IT, education and culture.

This year, he said, would be a tough but exciting one.

Mr Yang was greeted at MIA by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, whom he will be having talks with tomorrow.

This is the first visit to Malta by a Chinese Foreign Minister, although Malta has hosted visits by Chinese Presidents.

President George Abela visited China two years ago but his visit was interrupted when he suffered an accident. Mr Yang visited Malta last year.