On this day, 61 years ago, September 21, 1964 (August 16, 1964 in the lunar calendar), Malta, the "heart of the Mediterranean", became independent. Malta is an island country in southern Europe. It consists of five islands located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Malta is located between Italy and North Africa, is the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern Mediterranean and Indian Ocean traffic artery, so has always been a battleground. It was historically occupied by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, French and British. Before independence, Malta was an important British naval base. On September 21, 1964, Malta officially became independent and became a member of the British Commonwealth. Ten years later, Malta abolished the constitutional monarchy with the Queen of England as head of state and changed it to a republic. The people of Malta have waged a long and indomitable struggle to win their country's independence. In Valletta, the capital of Malta, there is a trade union memorial statue built by the Malta trade union to commemorate the workers who sacrificed their lives heroically in the struggle. In October 1943, workers and people from all walks of life in Malta took to the streets to protest against colonial rule and demonstrated. As a result, they were brutally suppressed by the authorities, and many people sacrificed their lives. This commemorative statue carved out of giant marble looks like a ball from a distance. When viewed up close, there are many human figures carved on the spherical surface, which is lifelike. They are like a fighting collective, closely united together. At the top of the memorial statue is a pair of young workers. The man carries a hammer on his shoulder and the woman holds the child in his hands. They are full of longing for the future and life and are moving towards tomorrow. The people of Malta, who have escaped a century and a half of British colonial rule, cherish freedom and peace very much. Malta pursues an independent, autonomous and non-aligned foreign policy. It makes many friends and never makes enemies. It advocates turning the Mediterranean into a Heping District. In order to safeguard its own interests and security, Malta attaches special importance to developing relations with countries along the North African region and the Mediterranean coast. It has established diplomatic relations with nearly 100 countries and regions, and has actively developed cooperative relations with these countries in various fields such as economy, trade, culture, tourism, and transportation. Malta has poor land and lacks natural resources, but Malta has "three treasures"-sunshine, sea water and stones. The island of Malta can be said to be composed of a strange rock, geologically called "slush limestone" and locally called it "Malta Marble." This kind of rock is milky yellow and can be cut or even planed at will with ordinary woodworking tools. After the water in the stone evaporates, it will become hard again and will not corrode over the years. It is a very ideal building material. Various buildings on the island of Malta were built with this "gem." Malta has a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, and many scenic spots. For example, St. John's Cathedral is a Renaissance building; The Grand Knights Palace, built in the 16th century and now houses the offices of the President and Parliament; the Manor Theatre, built from 1731 to 1732; the Royal University of Malta, the Royal Library, etc., also have a long history. The bright sunshine, clean sea water and many historical monuments attract tourists from all over the world. The number of tourists who come to Malta every year is almost three times the number of Malta's population. Tourism, manufacturing, and shipbuilding have become the three major economic pillars of Malta.