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MALAYSIA-CHINA-BRI-TRADE-INVESTMENT
Malaysia benefits from BRI, seeks more cooperation with China: officials
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 8, 2019 (BSS/Xinhua) – Malaysia has benefited from the
China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is looking forward to more
cooperation in trade and investment, officials said here Thursday.
The BRI is an economic initiative formulated by China to enhance its
connectivity with the world, Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said
while addressing the Malaysia-China Belt and Road Economic Cooperation Forum.
“Malaysia supports the BRI to encourage sustainable development throughout
Asia and bring the region closer together through a transparent and fair
mechanism,” he told the audience from business community of both countries.
He said Malaysia remains a reliable trade partner for Chinese exporters in
the current global climate and is the ideal gateway to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The strong economic bond between Malaysia and China has been evidenced by
the fact that China has remained the country’s biggest trade partner, and
Malaysia is receiving increasing number of Chinese tourists which recorded a
7.6 percent increase in the first 5 months of this year.
Lim also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to facilitating the entry of
Chinese businesses into the country with the aim of drawing high technology
companies in particular.
“I am happy that Huawei has its regional hub located in Kuala Lumpur, with
more than 2,500 employees throughout Malaysia. Reputed as the leader in 5G
technology, Huawei and other technology companies have a role to play in
aiding Malaysia in implementing Industry 4.0 technology, especially 5G,
throughout our society.”
“We will continue to facilitate Chinese investment into Malaysia
particularly the high-tech Industries and innovation-based services,” he
said, adding that Malaysia is keen to learn from Chinese advances in
artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials, robotics and cloud
computing.
Tan Kok Wai, Malaysia’s special envoy to China and chairman of the
Malaysia China Business Council which hosted the forum, said Malaysia has
fully embraced the BRI as the initiative would ease and expand the lines of
communications between both countries and the ASEAN region as a whole.
“Under the mutual collaboration on the Belt and Road development between
Malaysia and China, the Malaysian entrepreneurs, especially the local Chinese
business sectors will play an important role,” said Tan.
Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk
Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, which aims at
building trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and
Africa along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1453