Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar held bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday morning, with both sides focusing on strengthening trade and investment cooperation while exchanging views on major regional issues.
It is understood that the 15-minute closed-door meeting also discussed regional matters, with China expressing support for peaceful efforts to address the Thailand-Cambodia border situation and the long-standing crisis in Myanmar.
The two leaders also explored a number of cooperation plans aimed at promoting trade and investment, especially in the automotive and high-tech sectors, including the development of the Tanjung Malim Automotive High-Tech Valley (AHTV) project.
The talks also covered the topic of infrastructure connectivity, including the expansion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) from Kota Bharu to Lantau Panjang, as well as cooperation in key areas such as rare earth elements, the Perak-Penang water pipeline project, and the halal industry.
In addition, both sides emphasized the importance of tourism cooperation and cultural knowledge exchange, and discussed strengthening air connectivity by attracting more cargo flights from China to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the semiconductor industry and reaffirmed their support for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative.
As the current ASEAN chair, Malaysia welcomes China’s participation in advancing the construction of the ASEAN Power Grid to promote regional sustainable energy cooperation.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Anwar said: “You have visited Malaysia several times, and I have also visited China many times. Thank you very much for coming; this is of great significance to both Malaysia and ASEAN. I think we will focus on bilateral issues today.”
“Thanks also to President Xi Jinping for inviting me to attend China's 80th anniversary celebrations; I hope to meet with him during my upcoming trip to Korea in the next few days.”
Attendees included Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul and Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong, as well as Minister of Transport Anthony Loke.
This morning, Li Qiang also attended the signing ceremony of the upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) 3.0 and will later participate in the 28th ASEAN-China Summit.
Anwar added that this meeting, based on mutual trust and respect, further consolidates the already close Malaysia-China friendship, marking increasingly robust bilateral relations built on regional stability.
“Our discussions focus on strengthening bilateral trade and investment. Malaysia is committed, under the Belt and Road cooperation framework, to expanding high-value exports in areas such as electrical and electronics, aerospace, medical, renewable energy, and oil and gas.”
In addition, both sides also discussed Malaysia-China port cooperation, which could help strengthen Malaysia’s position as a regional logistics and maritime hub.
Anwar pointed out that Malaysia also welcomes continued Chinese investment in the fields of digital, semiconductor, and green technology, which aligns with our goal to become ASEAN’s leading innovation hub.