According to Sharon Scicluna, deputy director for the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, successive governments have sought to maintain strong relations with China. The China Cultural Centre in Malta also provides the Maltese people with a better understanding of China's rich cultural tradition through a series of activities, she added.

Yuan Yuan, the cultural center director, said the donation is one of the important projects of 2022's cooperation between the center and Nanjing. The books donated by Jinling library cover ancient Chinese literature and art, history, geography, contemporary Chinese politics and other areas.

"The event is not only a mini encyclopedia of Chinese culture and tourism but also a precious gift that carries the profound friendship of the people in Nanjing for the Maltese people," Yuan said.