Looking back upon history, Albania is one of the first countries that established diplomatic ties with China and very quickly made important contributions to the resumption of China's legal representation in the United Nations. Beijing Foreign Studies University, a renowned language university in China, even started to offer specific Albanian courses for Chinese students to learn its language and culture as early as the 1960s.

“The relations between China and Albania have been very good in 1960s and 1970s. We are very very close friends,” commented Maxhun Peka, the Ambassador of Albania to China, with a broad smile in an exclusive interview with China Daily,.

However, due to the different paths the two countries chose in developing their national economy, the friendly relations between China and Albania had begun to stagnate by 1978. “Like two brothers who fell out with each other, the two nations gradually became estranged,” signs Zhang.

Fortunately, the situation started to take a favorable turn from the 1990s. “We experienced some ups and downs, but Albania and China enjoy good relations now,” argues Maxhun Peka. Judging by the frequent exchange visits by senior leaders of both countries in recent years, what the ambassador said was well-founded.

In September 1993, Qian Qichen, then Vice Premier and Foreign Minister visited Albania, and after three years then Albanian President Berisha paid a visit to China. At the beginning of a new millennium, then State Councilor Wu Yi visited Albania in July 2002, followed by Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in 2006.

In April this year, to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha visited China and a Joint Statement on Deepening Traditional Friendly Relations Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Albania was issued by the two nations.

According to the statement, China respected the Albanian people's choice of a development path in line with their domestic situation and understood their efforts to join the European integration process.

Vlorë, a port city of Albania