PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim departed for China on Sunday morning (Aug 31) to begin a four-day working visit aimed at further strengthening Malaysia-China relations.
The visit, from Aug 31 to Sept 3, was at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and would see Anwar attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and the Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Anwar's programmes would take him to several locations across China, with the highlight being the Victory Day military parade in Beijing on Sept 3.
"The Prime Minister departed at about 11am this morning for several programmes in different locations in China.
"The culmination will be on Sept 3 in Beijing. He has visited China several times before, but this is a particularly important moment as we want to strengthen bilateral relations, especially following our Merdeka celebrations and in conjunction with China's National Day celebrations," he told reporters after attending the National Day parade here on Sunday.
Fahmi, who is also chairman of the National Day and Malaysia Day 2025 Celebrations main committee, said the visit underscores Malaysia's commitment to deepening ties with its largest trading partner.
Anwar was accompanied by his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
On Monday (Sept 1), the Prime Minister would attend the SCO Summit, an honour that reflects Malaysia's leadership and role as a regional power in promoting cooperation and global stability.
He will be the first Malaysian leader invited to the high-level gathering, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks at the SCO Plus Summit on Sept 1.
As Asean Chair, Malaysia's participation demonstrates its commitment to strengthening Asean-SCO relations and promoting its role as a bridge between Asean and SCO member states to explore cooperation in sectors such as economy and trade.
Malaysia is neither an observer state nor a dialogue partner of the SCO.
In Beijing, Anwar was scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Xi and hold a bilateral meeting with Premier Li Qiang to discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Premier Li will also host a dinner in honour of the Prime Minister and delegation at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
At the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Anwar would also engage in discussions with the business communities of both Malaysia and China.
China had remained Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years since 2009.
Total trade between the two countries stood at RM484.12bil in 2024, representing 16.8% of Malaysia's total global trade of RM2.879 trillion. – Bernama
