Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will visit Beijing starting Wednesday through April 1, during which he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of efforts to reinvigorate relations in the post-pandemic era.
(Bloomberg) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will visit Beijing starting Wednesday through April 1, during which he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of efforts to reinvigorate relations in the post-pandemic era.
During the trip, his first official visit to the world’s second-biggest economy since taking office in November, Anwar will also meet with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang to discuss bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment and food security, according to a statement from Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The visit is expected to fortify economic relations, which will surely result in greater trade and investment flows,” the ministry said.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009. Total trade between the two nations touched 487.13 billion ringgit (about $110 billion) in 2022. China was also the top investor in Malaysia last year, contributing 21% of the $59 billion investments the nation approved in 2022.
Anwar is also due to attend the opening plenary at the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern province of Hainan, scheduled for March 30.
Anwar’s visit to China is the first by a Malaysian leader since ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad’s trip in April 2019.
Anwar has traveled to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey and Saudi Arabia since becoming prime minister, seeking to boost economic ties and his standing among Malaysians after years of political instability.
–With assistance from Anisah Shukry.
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