I love my country, I love China, and I love getting the two together and trying to work out what we can do together.

As a Maltese person, he became interested in China at the early age of 10, and he was admitted to Peking University in September 1978.

He repeatedly mentioned in his memoir: “My studies at Peking University and the knowledge taught to me by the Chinese faculty have had a tremendous impact on my later life.” After 4 years of studying in Peking’s Chinese department, he was able to understand Beijing Opera in the streets, as well as talk about communism.

In January 1982, he graduated from Peking University, and in May 1982 he returned to Beijing to open an embassy in China. He received Malta's prestigious National Order of Merit in 2016.

There is no doubt that he is a prominent figure and pioneer in political and economic relations between China and Malta.

He is our guest today, Clifford Borg-Marks.