Anwar Ibrahim Embarks on an Offical Visit to China

Kuala Lumpur, The Gulf Observer: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will undertake a working visit to China from Monday, November 4, to Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang. The visit will include Anwar’s participation in the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, where Malaysia has been honored as the “Country of Honour” for this year’s event.

According to a statement from Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, Wisma Putra, on Sunday, Anwar will be joined by a delegation comprising Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz; and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. In Shanghai, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral discussions with Premier Li Qiang, following their previous meeting in Putrajaya on June 19, 2024. The two leaders are set to exchange views on various regional and international issues of shared interest.

The CIIE, initiated by the Chinese Government, serves as a global platform for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to showcase and promote their products and services. During the event’s opening ceremony, Anwar will deliver a keynote address and officiate both the Malaysia Pavilion and the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Pavilion. Additionally, the Prime Minister will engage in one-on-one business meetings and participate in a roundtable discussion with leading Chinese industry figures.

Following his engagements in Shanghai, Anwar will travel to Beijing from November 6 to 7, where he will pay a courtesy call on President Xi Jinping. His Beijing itinerary includes a speech at Peking University entitled “Bridging Futures: Strengthening Malaysia-China Relations and ASEAN Centrality in a Shifting Global Order,” as well as a visit to the Huawei Executive Briefing Centre.

Wisma Putra emphasized that the visit will strengthen Malaysia-China relations, especially as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. For 15 consecutive years, since 2009, China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner. In 2023, bilateral trade was valued at RM450.84 billion (US$98.80 billion), representing 17.1 percent of Malaysia’s global trade. By September 2024, trade between the two nations had reached RM355.15 billion (US$76.72 billion), with RM1.2 billion (US$252.5 million) invested in 15 manufacturing projects during the first half of 2024.