16-9-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, during his visit to Nanning, the capital city of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, on Sunday (Sept 17).
Anwar, who also serves as Malaysia’s Finance Minister, is embarking on a working visit to Nanning to attend the 20th China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) 2023, following an invitation from Li.
Ahmad Phadil Ismail, Malaysia’s Consul General in Nanning, stated that the two Prime Ministers would meet for the second time this year, following Anwar’s inaugural visit to China in March.
“The bilateral meeting will provide an opportunity for the two prime ministers to follow up on their previous discussions,” Ahmad Phadil told Malaysian reporters on Saturday (Sept 16). He added that Anwar would also engage with major Chinese corporations following his meeting with Li.
During his first visit to China in March this year, Anwar secured a record RM170 billion worth of investment commitments from the world’s second-largest economy after taking office as Prime Minister in November.
Ahmad Phadil disclosed that during Anwar’s one-day working visit to Nanning, he is scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony of CAEXPO and the China-Asean Business and Investment Summit (Cabis), alongside Li and other Asean leaders, including those from Laos and Vietnam. Anwar will also inaugurate the “Malaysian Pavilion” at CAEXPO.
In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministry announced that during the bilateral meeting, both leaders would discuss the state of Malaysia-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. Following the meeting, Li would host a luncheon in honor of the Prime Minister.
CAEXPO is one of the largest international exhibitions co-organized by China and Asean, serving as a crucial platform for businesses and enterprises from the Asean region and China to explore business synergies and promote their products within the world’s largest free trade area. Malaysia has been participating in this Expo since its inception in 2004.
According to the statement, a total of 107 Malaysian companies will participate in the Expo under the Malaysian pavilion, coordinated by the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).
During the visit, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Mohamad Alamin, representing Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, as well as Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Local Government Development Nga Kor Ming, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin, and senior government officials.
Since 2009, China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner, with trade between the two countries in 2022 accounting for about 17.1% of Malaysia’s total global trade worth RM2.8 trillion. The total trade between the two countries in 2022 reached RM487.13 billion, marking a 15.6% increase compared to the previous year.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year.
