On 31 January 1972, China and Malta established diplomatic relations. Bilateral ties between the two countries have maintained good momentum ever since.  

China and Malta have maintained frequent high-level exchanges. In July 2001, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Maltese President Guido De Marco exchanged visits. In February 2009, Chinese President Xi Jinping (then Vice President) visited Malta. In July 2021, Maltese Minister for European and Foreign Affairs Evarist Bartolo visited China. In January 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Maltese President George Vella. In September 2023, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi held meetings with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Malta and paid a visit to Malta. In November 2023, Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg visited China and attended the Sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) .

China is a key trading partner of Malta in Asia. In 2024, bilateral trade reached US$4.54 billion, marking a year-on-year increase of 83.8%, with China’s exports to Malta totaling US$4.06 billion (up 122.1% year-on-year) and imports from Malta US$480 million (down 25.1% year-on-year). As of December 2024, China’s investment stock in Malta stood at US$36 million, while direct investment to Malta in 2024 hitting US$1.1 million. Malta’s investment stock in China totaled US$84 million. In November 2018, the two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Malta on Jointly Advancing the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Several Maltese ministers attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China.

China and Malta have fostered strong cooperation in culture, education, and health care. In September 2003, China set its China Cultural Center in Valletta, the first in southern Europe. In July 2022, President Xi Jinping replied to the letter from teachers and students of the Science China Corner of St. Margaret College Secondary School in Malta, encouraging Maltese educators, students, and youth to actively participate in China-Malta people-to-people exchanges. Bilateral health cooperation began in 1984, and in 1994, China established the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) in Malta, the first TCM centre set by China in Europe. 

China implemented the visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders of Malta starting from 30 November 2024 (effective till 31 December 2025). By the end of 2024, China and Malta had two pairs of sister-city relationships.