On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Malta and the Valletta Spring Festival 2012, the China Cultural Centre in collaboration with Valletta Local Council and the Mediterranean Conference Centre is presenting the Happy Chinese New Year Grand Art Performance which will be held at the Centre on Saturday 14 January at 8:00 pm. It was announced at a press conference at China Cultural Centre on 14th December, 2011

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhang Keyuan said that the year of 2012 would be special because it is the Year of Dragon which will bring fortune, promotion, wealth and health to the people. What is more, 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Malta.

Zhang spoke highly of the fruitful relations between China and Malta during the last 40 years, quoting frequent exchange of high-level visits and people-to-people communications, rapid and steady development of bilateral cooperation in trade, educational and cultural fields. He believed that the relations between the two countries would enter a new stage in the coming year.

Zhang expressed his thanks to the Parliamentary Secretariat for Tourism, the Environment and Culture, the Local Council of Valletta, Mediterranean Conference Centre and Malta Tourism Authority for their unremitting support to the event in the last years.

Dr. Dingli, Mayor of Valletta, said that the Valletta Local Council was proud to have collaborated with China Cultural Centre to hold a series of important cultural activities, such as Happy Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, which had made successful impressions and had been appreciated and anticipated in Malta over the years. The Local Council had established a tight friendship with the Centre because of these events, the mayor added. He also expressed his appreciation of the joint efforts of the Centre in organizing and promoting diverse cultural events, which had caused an increase in the rate of employment and the development of tourism and economy in Malta.

Mr. Gu Hongxing, Director of China Cultural Centre, made a detailed presentation about the 2012 Happy Chinese New Year in Valletta. He introduced that an opening ceremony performance at St. George Square, parades at Republic Street and Merchant Street, a grand performance at the Mediterranean Conference Centre would be organized to celebrate the Chinese New Year of Dragon and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. Other events include an exhibition of historical and significant photographs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta, Chinese National Music Concert at Malta University, Lantern Festival Fair, New Year Film Reception, etc. He announced that brilliant performance of acrobatics, music, songs and dances would be staged by a 23-member art troupe from Jiangsu, China with a view to offering Maltese people another chance to experience the jubilance of Chinese New Year.

Maltese media such as PBS, One TV, Favorite Channel, Net TV, Times of Malta and Malta Independent made coverage of the press conference.