KUALA LUMPUR: Trade between Malaysia and China continued to increase this year, reaching RM355.16bil between January and September, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Foreign Minister said this is compared to RM325.83bil worth of trade in the same period in 2023.
"In the first half of 2024, a total of 46 projects were approved with an investment of RM5.9bil, which is expected to create some 5,038 jobs," he said in a written reply to Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan), who asked to reveal the economic outcomes resulting from the visits of Malaysia's leaders to China, specifically the additional economic benefits provided by China during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China in 2024.
Mohamad said China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years since 2009.
"In 2023, China remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner with a total trade value of RM450.84bil.
"China is also one of Malaysia’s largest investors, with a total investment of RM74.2bil from 1980 to 2023," said the Foreign Minister.
The visit of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to China from Sept 19 to 22, 2024, holds significant meaning for both countries, as it marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary, Mohamad said both countries have arranged and successfully carried out various programmes and activities, including high-level exchange visits.
"As of December 2024, a total of 32 high-level visits have been conducted.
"During these visits, various cooperation opportunities between Malaysia and China were discussed, and many agreements have been reached between the two countries.
"These include trade, investment, education, agriculture, agri-commodities, tourism, connectivity, people-to-people relations, and more," explained Mohamad.
He also informed the Dewan Rakyat that China has agreed to enhance existing cooperation while exploring new opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
"Other areas of cooperation include expert and technology sharing in agriculture, extreme poverty eradication, renewable energy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and the digital economy.
"China has also agreed to offer 5,125 places for Malaysian students to undergo TVET-related training. China is a highly advanced country in TVET, particularly in automotive-related education," he said.
Other outcomes from these visits include the export of fresh durian from Malaysia to China starting on Aug 24, 2024, and the increase in direct flights between the two countries, said the foreign minister.
