Members of IMLI Class 2006-2007 had the pleasure of meeting China’s Ambassador to Malta, Liu Zhengxiu at a reception held in his honour.

Professor Attard said the institute has always enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with the Embassy of China in Malta and with the Ambassador who has been instrumental in encouraging Chinese legal professionals to attend the institute’s Master of Laws Programme.

He said China has a significant merchant marine fleet and it is fast becoming a major player in global maritime trade. China’s interest in training its legal practitioners in the field of maritime law is a natural consequence of this growth. Professor Attard added that IMLI had several Chinese students who enrolled in the course and all of them had done well.

In his response, Ambassador Liu acknowledged the friendly relationship the Chinese Embassy enjoys with IMLI, a relationship he intends to pursue during his tenure as ambassador. He said that to date six Chinese nationals have attended IMLI, including Qian Hai who is currently taking the course.

He expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the Chinese students and acknowledged that there was still a need to pursue training for Chinese legal professionals if China is to succeed in becoming a responsible player in global maritime trade.