VALLETTAriverbankbingo, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese and Maltese officials have agreed to deepen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and to push forward the China-Malta and China-European Union (EU) relations.

The two sides expressed their willingness when Lu Kang, deputy head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met respectively with Malta's Foreign Minister Ian Borg, Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech, Labour Party President Ramona Attard, and representatives from think tanks, local authorities and friendly locals.

Lu, who led a CPC delegation to pay a visit to Malta from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of the Labour Party of Malta, also briefed the Maltese side on the opportunities brought to the world by China's further comprehensive deepening of reforms and the advancement of Chinese modernization.

Both sides highlighted the strong development momentum in China-Malta relations, vowing to continue their traditional friendship and strengthen inter-party exchanges.■