King of Malaysia’s visit to China to further enhance half-a-century diplomatic ties

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 20): His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia’s four-day state visit to China, marks a significant step in strengthening half a century of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Guest speaker on Bernama TV’s ‘The Nation ASEAN+’ programme on Friday, China Global Television Network (CGTN) news anchor Hou Na, emphasised that Sultan Ibrahim’s visit will particularly enhance cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations between The Land of the Great Wall and Malaysia.

“President Xi Jinping said China and Malaysia are neighbours with a millennium-old friendship; friends with hearts are connected and partners for win-win cooperation. Therefore, His Majesty’s state visit is huge for both nations and warmly welcomed by the Chinese people,” she said in a segment titled ‘His Majesty The King’s Historic Visit To China.’

His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a four-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This is His Majesty’s maiden state visit to China after ascending the throne on Jan 31, 2024.

It is the first visit to China by a Malaysian monarch in over a decade, making it a significant event for both nations.

According to Hou Na, the five decades of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia have recorded several milestone standout, making China Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years and a major source of investment.

Trade volume has surged from less than US$200 million half a century ago to over US$190 billion last year, marking a 950-fold increase, she said.

Hou Na said mutual visa exemption between China and Malaysia in December last year has benefited travel between the two countries, with more than 1.47 million Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia last year – making China the largest source of tourists to Malaysia outside of Asean.

This year, more than 275,000 Chinese tourists visit Malaysia each month, which is a huge and remarkable progress in half a decade, she added.

According to Hou Na, over the past half a decade, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been a catalyst in economic cooperation and shaping robust collaboration between the two countries.

China has invested in a diverse array of projects in Malaysia including East Coast Rail Link, Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline, and various other economic developments that will transform the country’s economic landscape, she said.

Hou Na added that the BRI also has expanded beyond infrastructure initiatives with Health Silk Road, Digital Silk Road and Green Silk Road. The Health Silk Road has benefited Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic where China supply vaccines to Malaysia and provides support in Malaysia’s vaccine research and production.

Sultan Ibrahim’s visit will make China and Malaysia more connected in future and bring fruitful progress for the people in both countries, she said.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry in a statement earlier said His Majesty’s visit provides an excellent opportunity for both sides to reaffirm a shared commitment to ensuring that Malaysia-China relations continue to remain forward-looking, dynamic, and prosperous for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries based on mutual respect and trust.

It also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, the statement said.

In 2023, China retained its place as Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with a total trade of RM450.84 billion (US$98.90 billion), contributing 17.1 per cent of Malaysia’s global trade.

Trade has continued to grow, with the first half of 2024 recording a value of RM234.09 billion (US$49.53 billion) compared to RM214.87 billion (US$48.21 billion) for the corresponding period of 2023.

In the first quarter of 2024, a total of 24 manufacturing projects were approved with investments totalling RM3.4 billion (US$717.7 million). – Bernama