In Kuala Lumpur, the Foreign Minister of the Chinese mainland, Wang Yi, met Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan to map out the next phase of their strategic partnership.
Wang Yi said both sides are ready to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, following the consensus of their leaders. He highlighted key Belt and Road projects such as the East Coast Rail Link and the Two Countries, Twin Parks initiative, urging steady progress on infrastructure, trade, and connectivity.
Looking beyond hard infrastructure, the two ministers discussed joint efforts in emerging and frontier sectors to create a regional hub for new quality productive forces. They also agreed to advance dialogue between Confucian and Islamic civilizations and finalize a mutual visa exemption agreement to boost people-to-people exchanges.
On regional cooperation, Wang Yi praised the completion of Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and criticized high US tariffs on ASEAN members as unfair unilateralism. He said countermeasures by the Chinese mainland aim to defend the common interests of all countries and uphold the multilateral trading system.
Mohamad Hasan described Malaysia-China relations as operating at their historical best and reaffirmed that Malaysia remains committed to the one-China policy. He expressed support for the Chinese mainland Global Development, Global Security, and Global Civilization Initiatives and pledged closer collaboration on trade, digital economy, green development, and infrastructure.
As global uncertainty grows, both ministers agreed it is crucial to strengthen strategic trust and avoid sacrificing third-party interests – a principle at the heart of ASEAN cooperation and shared prosperity.
Reference(s):
Chinese FM urges joint efforts with Malaysia on bilateral, ASEAN ties
cgtn.com
