Malaysia aims to strengthen its economic partnership with China through expanded trade, digital cooperation and sustainable growth initiatives, according to the country's trade minister, who said the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE) presents another platform to deepen business exchanges between the two sides.
Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia's Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, is currently in Shanghai for the 7th CIIE, which is running from Nov 5 to 10 under the theme "New Era, Shared Future," and has gathered participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations.
In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Zafrul emphasized his country's long-standing involvement in the expo, having attended every edition of the event since it was first held in 2018. He also noted this year's participation is especially significant as Malaysia has been selected as a guest of honor, with 2024 marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
"This is our seventh year participating in CIIE. That means we've been participating every year since the establishment of CIIE. This year is a special year for us, because we are chosen as one of the guests of honor. And our prime minister is also here, and he just delivered a speech at the opening [ceremony]. And we have many Malaysian companies also participating, about 68 Malaysian companies participating this year. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 years in a row. Needless to say, China and Malaysia, we have a very strong trade partnership," said the minister.
He further emphasized Malaysia's commitment to sustainable and inclusive economic growth, citing China's leadership in these areas as a valuable learning opportunity for Malaysia.
"I think Malaysia today, we are seeing very strong economic growth, but what we want to see is that this growth continues to be sustained. We are also looking at a growth that is very inclusive, and we want to embrace growth that is sustainable. We've been talking about the SDGs; we're talking about climate change; we're talking about renewable energy, new technology. And this is all areas where China is very strong," Zafrul said.
The minister also highlighted how ties have been growing stronger, underscored by the 14 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) which were signed during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Malaysia in June, and pointed to greater business cooperation in the digital sector as one of the main example.
"The 14 MOUs that were signed, when Premier Li Qiang was visiting Malaysia recently shows how strong the relationship with China is, when it comes to B to B, business to business, especially. In the area of digital, that really is an area where Malaysia is going to push very strong. And in fact, if you look at investments, digital investment is one of the biggest investments into the country, and we are one of the biggest exporters on E and E, electrical and electronics, as well," he said.
Looking ahead, Zafrul expressed optimism about Malaysia's upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2025, with plans to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement with China, which entered into force in 2005.
"I think China has been very supportive and very open with companies and investors from Malaysia as well as when it comes to trading with Malaysia. So this is an area where we think it's very important. And next year when Malaysia chairs ASEAN, we have put one of the deliverables, especially on the economic deliverables, to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement with China. That I think will again improve trade between Malaysia and China," the minister noted.
Malaysia seeks stronger trade ties with China at CIIE
