China and Malaysia are stepping up their game in building a brighter future together! 🚀
Construction of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia, is in full swing. 🛤️ Built by the China Communications Construction Company, this game-changing project is already 60% complete as of March! It's expected to supercharge connectivity and bring balanced growth to Malaysia by linking the less-developed east coast to the bustling west coast upon completion.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during his official visit to Malaysia from June 18 to 20, expressed China's eagerness to work with Malaysia on this and other major projects. He mentioned advancing the ECRL and the \"Two Countries, Twin Parks\" project, expanding trade and investment, and promoting cooperation between the two nations. 🤝
Ong Tee Keat, president of the BRI Caucus for Asia Pacific and former Malaysian transport minister, highlighted how China's approach to partnership brings a refreshing alternative to multilateral cooperation in Southeast Asia. He noted that the benefits of the BRI are a powerful boost for the region, with Malaysia reaping significant rewards. 🌏
Did you know that China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 years straight? And Malaysia is China's second-largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)! Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Anwar reached an important consensus on jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
During Li's visit, both countries agreed to accelerate building this shared future, keeping close high-level exchanges and deepening cooperation across various sectors. They also plan to promote the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and wrap up negotiations for version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area as soon as possible. 📈
Strengthening People-to-People Bonds ❤️
This year is extra special as it marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, and it's the \"China-Malaysia Friendship Year\"! Over the past five decades, the two countries have been tightening people-to-people bonds.
In 2023, Malaysia welcomed around 1.4 million Chinese tourists, making them one of the top six groups visiting the country. 🏖️ The recent visa-free travel waiver has given a big boost to exchanges between the peoples. \"We are positive about reaching over 5 million tourists from China,\" said Tourism Malaysia Director-General Manoharan Periasamy in April.
During his visit, Li also called for deeper cultural exchanges in areas like culture, tourism, and education. He emphasized strengthening connections between youths and fostering more interactions at the local levels to further facilitate exchanges between the two nations. 🌟
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China, Malaysia to step up building a community with a shared future
cgtn.com
