Xinhua news agency bureau launched in Malta
Manuel Mallia describes Chinese company’s expansion to Malta as an ‘important strategic step’
29 November 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
Manuel Mallia welcomed the continued cooperation between Malta and China
The official press agency of the People's Republic of China, Xinhua, has opened in Malta.
The agency, which started operating under the name 'Red China News Agency' in 2931, boasts a total of 139 bureaus worldwide today.
Thirty-one of these bureaus are based in China, whilst another 108 - including the newly-opened one in Malta - are located in various countries in the world.
Xinhua is a publisher as well as a news agency. It owns more than 20 newspapers and a dozen magazines, and prints in eight languages amongst which are Chinese, English, Russian and Arabic.
Minister for Home Affairs Manuel Mallia was present for the launching and he said that the relationship between Malta and China was a "very good" one.
According to the minister, the fact that Xinhua had taken the decision to open in Malta was evidence of the cooperation between the two countries, despite their geographical distance.
Mallia described the presence of Xinhua in Malta as "an important strategic step for the agency", highlighting the fact that Malta was not only a member of the European Union, but it also had strong links with its North African neighbours.
Mallia said that, in today's world, the transfer and knowledge of information and news had become crucial.
"China has fast become a major player in the world's economy, and a major trading partner, indeed growing, with the European Union. Every day we hear of one area or another where the EU, or any of its Member States, increase or develop their level of cooperation with China, something that we have always sought to do," he said, adding that the setting up of the Xinhua bureau is sure to provide a useful and valuable link between Malta and China.
Mallia said that whilst the "ever-growing cooperation" between the two countries means that there are increasingly more Maltese interested in the goings-on in China, the exposure that Malta will receive in China may "serve to make our island attractive to Chinese business, industry, tourists and students".
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......The agency, which started operating under the name 'Red China News Agency' in 2931,......... How come in Malta we are still in 2013? :)
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U l-gvern ta' Missier Beppe kecca l-istazzzjon Germaniz tad-Deutsche Welle minn Malta. Dawn tghidx kemm kienu iqallghu flus lil Enemalta tad-dawl li kienu jixtru minghandha be prezz li kien ihalli hafna qliegh lil Enemalta.
