KUALA LUMPUR: Trade and investment was the primary focus of the discussions in the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
“Today’s engagements began with a meeting with my friend, Premier Li Qiang, and the Chinese delegation.
“This meeting further strengthened the close Malaysia-China friendship founded on trust and mutual respect, symbolising an ever-growing bilateral relationship anchored on regional stability,” Anwar said in a Facebook post.
He said Malaysia remains committed to expanding high-value exports in sectors such as electrical and electronics, aerospace, medical technology, renewable energy, and oil and gas under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative’s (BRI) Cooperation Plan.
“I also highlighted the importance of projects such as the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim, a collaboration between Proton and Geely, the expansion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), and port cooperation between Malaysia and China, which will further strengthen Malaysia’s position as a regional logistics and maritime hub,” he added.
Anwar said Malaysia also welcomes continued Chinese investments in the digital economy, semiconductors and green technology in line with the aspiration to become Asean’s leading hub for innovation.
The Prime Minister said the meeting also touched on the KL Peace Accord between Cambodia and Thailand, and Li expressed China’s support for the peace effort.
Latest wheels: Anwar and Li (third from right) viewing Proton’s new e.MAS 5 model during the summit in Kuala umpur. — Photo from the Prime Minister’s Office’s Facebook page
“China also reaffirmed its continued commitment to help resolve the crisis in Myanmar, particularly in ensuring the ceasefire is maintained and all parties are brought back to the negotiation table for the sake of regional peace and prosperity,” he added.
At the Asean-China Summit, the Prime Minister said Asean’s relations with China and the United States reflect the regional grouping’s commitment towards centrality and maintaining relations with all nations.
He said such engagements foster trust, enabling all to work through challenges together.
“If anyone is curious, we met with US President Donald Trump yesterday, and today we are back with China.
“That reflects Asean centrality. I commend and congratulate my colleagues for their wisdom in maintaining centrality and relations with all countries,” he said in his remarks.
Anwar also said Li’s presence at the summit reflects China’s firm and unyielding commitment to deepening ties with Asean.
“While complete uniformity of views among Asean members is neither possible nor desirable, I believe the appreciation for China’s consistent and constructive engagement is shared by all,” Anwar added.
Earlier, the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol was signed, marking a major step forward in strengthening regional economic cooperation and trade facilitation.
The upgraded agreement seeks to modernise and expand the trade framework between Asean and China, which has been the region’s largest trading partner for more than a decade.
With trade reaching a total of US$772.2bil (RM3.24 trillion) last year, China remains Asean’s largest trading partner amid an increasingly complex global environment.
