Insightful talks: Abdul Majid (third from right) with Wong (in patterned shirt) together with speakers and attendees at the Concorde Club meeting. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and China must continue to identify new areas of cooperation to bolster stronger ties ahead of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them in 2024, says Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan.
“I think we should not only be proud of the achievements in the last 50 years, but we should also learn more about one another,” said the Malaysia-China Friendship Association president.
“For Malaysia and China, we also need to identify new areas of cooperation that would benefit both parties,” said the former Malaysian ambassador to China during the Concorde Club meeting yesterday.
Also present at the meeting were Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute chief executive officer Danial Rahman and Amir Fareed Rahim, director of strategy at KRA Group.
The Concorde Club is an informal gathering of a group of editors and senior journalists who meet with politicians and key policymakers.
Previous guests of the Concorde Club, led by Star Media Group adviser Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, included Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Anthony Loke and Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Abdul Majid said that Malaysia must be proactive and take advantage of the offers made by China.
“China has offered Malaysia many opportunities, especially in terms of the new technologies that they have. I think they are moving towards the next stage of modernisation, characterised high-quality development,” he added.
“So, they also want their products to be of a certain standard, and this is something Malaysians can participate in and even provide ideas for.
“We should definitely look at all the opportunities offered by China, not only for Malaysia but for the Asean region as a whole,” he said.
Abdul Majid also noted that there will be a huge celebration expected in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations next year.
“There will be celebrations at the government-to-government level as well as other private sector groups such as businesses and chambers of commerce.
“I believe that Malaysia and China are both excited to celebrate the anniversary as it is meaningful to both sides,” he said.
“When you look back, the decision made by our second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was indeed wise, one that brought the two nations together.
“And now it has been elevated to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP),” noted Abdul Majid, adding that it was embedded closely in terms of economics, diplomacy, regional development and peace, investments, as well as tourism.
China has remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, with total trade of RM487.13bil (US$110.6bil) in 2022, up 15.6% from 2021.
