Wang Yi: Set New Goals and Clarify New Priorities for China-Malaysia Relations to Scale New Heights

On July 12, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah jointly met the press after their talks in Kuala Lumpur.

Wang Yi said, China and Malaysia are good friends with our friendship dating back to over a thousand years ago, and also good partners for win-win cooperation. Currently, China-Malaysia relations are presented with new development opportunities. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Malaysian side to recall original aspirations, build on past achievements and forge ahead for the future. We should set new goals and clarify new priorities for bilateral relations, so as to push bilateral cooperation to scale new heights. During the visit, the two sides reached a series of important consensus:

First, the two sides reached consensus on upholding the vision of a "World Family" and making joint efforts in the direction of building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future. China and Malaysia have similar ideas, integrated interests and close people-to-people and cultural ties, with our destinies already being bound together. We have clarified the general direction of jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, which will endow the China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership with new connotations of the times and open up broader development prospects for bilateral cooperation.

Second, the two sides agreed to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. We will take the opportunity of the 10th anniversary of the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" to build an area of pioneering efforts for innovative development of economy and trade, and an area of demonstration for production capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, foster new growth drivers for cooperation such as digital economy and green development, and jointly enhance competitiveness and development level.

Third, the two sides synergized the development blueprints for connectivity. The two sides will make all-out efforts to promote the construction of the East Coast Railway and the development along the route, and maintain communication on the construction of the Singapore-Malaysia Railway. The two sides also discussed the long-term goal of linking up the middle line of the pan-Asia railway network. By connecting the China-Laos Railway and the China-Thailand Railway, interconnected development will be realized and regional integration will be accelerated.

Fourth, the two sides negotiated practical measures to benefit the people and promote people-to-people ties. China is ready to import more quality agricultural products from Malaysia, and will arrange for Malaysian students to return to China to resume classes in the near future, in a bid to help them realize their dreams in life. China also plans to substantially increase direct flights between the two countries. Both sides believe that as the pandemic situation takes a favorable turn, the people of the two countries can again be in constant contact with each other like relatives.

Fifth, the two sides built political consensus on maintaining regional peace and stability. The two sides will advocate true multilateralism, act on open regionalism, safeguard ASEAN centrality, reject bloc confrontation and Cold War mentality, speed up consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly build the South China Sea into a sea of peace and cooperation.

Wang Yi said, Malaysia is the final stop of my visit to Southeast Asia. Along the way, I deeply felt the strong desire of regional countries to pursue peace and development, the profound friendship between the people of China and ASEAN countries, and the urgent need for cooperation between China and ASEAN. The people of China and ASEAN countries have had friendly exchanges on this land for thousands of years, and no one can separate us or stop us from moving towards development and revitalization. We are ready to join hands with ASEAN friends including Malaysia to deepen strategic mutual trust, strengthen strategic coordination, make concerted efforts to maintain regional stability, concentrate on promoting common development, and make unremitting efforts to enhance the well-being of the people of China and ASEAN countries and promote peace and prosperity in the world.