China to promote all-around partnership with Malaysia

President Xi Jinping meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing on Thursday. (FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY)

President Xi Jinping has called on China and Malaysia to use the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties as an opportunity to promote all-around bilateral cooperation in order to benefit their respective development and make greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, the last day of the Malaysian leader's four-day working visit to China.

This was Anwar's third visit to China since taking office in 2022. During his first visit to China in March last year, the two sides reached a consensus on building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, marking a new chapter in bilateral relations.

"The history of friendly exchanges between the peoples of the two countries demonstrates that we are not only good neighbors across the sea, but also like-minded friends and partners committed to joint development," Xi told Anwar on Thursday.

China and Malaysia have seen their bilateral trade volume increase more than thousandfold to reach nearly $200 billion in 2023 from less than $200 million in 1974, when they established diplomatic relations. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.

Noting that China and the Southeast Asian country share extensive common interests, Xi said that China is ready to work with Malaysia to usher in the next glorious 50 years of the bilateral relationship.

Xi urged the two countries to better align their development strategies and explore cooperation in new areas such as the digital economy and new energy.

Anwar, who arrived in China on Monday, also attended the opening ceremony of the seventh China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Xi said that China welcomes Malaysia to make good use of the CIIE as a platform to bring more quality Malaysian products to the Chinese market.

Xi said that China and Malaysia, both developing countries and representatives of emerging economies in Asia, should enhance coordination on global and regional issues, jointly oppose protectionism, and facilitate trade and investment.

He also expressed China's support for Malaysia to take the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year.

Anwar commended the Chinese leader for his dedication to the people, the poor and humanity. "That is why we see you not only as the leader of China, but the new voice for the Global South and internationally," he said.

The Malaysian government is committed to further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, admires China's achievements in poverty relief and wishes to learn from China's governance experience, Anwar said.