President Xi Jinping vowed to work with Maltese President Myriam Spiteri Debono to make new progress in bilateral relations in order to better benefit the two peoples, as he extended congratulations to the new president on her inauguration on Thursday.

Xi said in his message that China and Malta have always respected each other and treated each other on an equal basis since the establishment of diplomatic relations 52 years ago.

The two countries have supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, he said, noting that bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, culture and education as well as medicine and healthcare have yielded fruitful results.

Xi said he highly values developing China's relationship with Malta, an island country in Southern Europe, and is ready to work with Spiteri Debono to carry forward the two countries' traditional friendship and deepen practical cooperation for the greater development of bilateral ties.

Spiteri Debono was sworn in as the 11th president of Malta on Thursday after the country's parliament unanimously approved her as the new president on March 27.

She is the third female president of Malta.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, two-way trade between China and Malta in the first 11 months of last year was close to $700 million, registering a significant year-on-year increase of 75.2 percent.