Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall Of The People in Beijing, Sept 2024 - Bernama archive pix
KUALA LUMPUR: It will certainly be the country’s most high-profile visit by a foreign head of state when Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Malaysia next week, as part of his first visit abroad this year.
His visit, from April 15-17, comes at a time when Malaysia has assumed the chair of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), with a series of meetings lined up until the end of the year.
The Chinese leader’s stop in Malaysia, besides Cambodia and Vietnam, will be a boost to Asean, as it signifies the importance of the group.
China has retained its position as Asean’s largest trading partner since 2009, with trade having more than doubled since 2010.
For Malaysia, Xi’s visit is a strong follow-up to the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China last year, marking a milestone in the bilateral friendship.
In fact, China and the Malay world have a long history of interaction, especially in trade and cultural exchanges dating back to the 13th century through the Melaka sultanate with China.
The Ming Dynasty government even sent legendary Admiral Zheng He to Melaka at least five times.
The Straits of Malacca was a crucial maritime channel for China, as Melaka facilitated a significant portion of the Chinese trade, and today, it remains a vital route.
Fast forward to 2025 - Xi’s visit comes 12 years after his previous arrival in 2013, marking a major milestone in China-Malaysia relations.
Without doubt, his visit is poised to be a pivotal moment in Malaysia-China relations, carrying significant diplomatic, economic and geopolitical implications.
Xi will meet His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
China’s national news agency, Xinhua, reported that Xi and Anwar will hold talks, saying "China looks forward to taking the visit as an opportunity to further strengthen political and security cooperation between the two countries, deepen the alignment of development strategies and enhance cultural exchanges.’’
Without doubt, this will be an occasion for both nations to reaffirm mutual commitments and explore new avenues for collaboration.
While this visit was arranged long before US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs imposition, it underscores China’s intent to bolster ties with South-East Asian nations. Malaysia, as a significant trading partner, stands to benefit from enhanced cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, digital economy and renewable energy.
On Asean, Xi’s visit is well-timed to deliberate on regional cooperation and address shared challenges, especially on strengthening Asean-China relations. It will also provide opportunities for potential discussions on trade, security and regional stability.
On trade, the visit is expected to reinvigorate Belt and Road Initiative projects in Malaysia, including the East Coast Rail Link and the "Two Countries, Twin Parks” initiative. These projects aim to enhance connectivity and economic integration between the two nations.
Bilateral trade between China and Malaysia hit a record US$212.05bil in 2024.
Chinese tourist arrivals in Malaysia have surged 136.5 per cent to over three million so far this year, indicating a strong preference to travel to Malaysia, which is boosted by the 30-day visa-free policy.
Malaysia has set an ambitious target to attract five million Chinese visitors annually, and hopefully, Xi’s visit will further boost tourism as it will put Malaysia on the Chinese radar.
Over 300 journalists from China and international news agencies have applied for accreditation to cover the historic visit.
Kuala Lumpur looks forward to welcoming President Xi Jinping. Selamat Datang! - Bernama
> Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, a veteran journalist, is the chairman of Bernama.
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