This is Anwar’s maiden visit to China since taking office last November.
Foreign minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said the visit is historic and meaningful, since the prime minister had received an invitation from the Chinese government to visit the republic only four months after being sworn in.
This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two countries will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year.
“This clearly shows the aspirations of the Chinese government, especially President Xi Jinping, who has just been reappointed as president for a third term, to forge closer ties with Anwar’s unity government,” Zambry told the media here late last night.
He pointed out that Anwar would also be one of the first world leaders to visit Beijing after Xi’s re-appointment earlier this month.
Anwar is expected to arrive here on Thursday evening after attending the Boao Annual Forum for Asia in Hainan. He will be met on arrival by China’s deputy foreign minister, Sun Weidong.
Zambry said Anwar is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Xi on Friday, where discussions will focus on new steps that can be taken in various fields to boost and strengthen bilateral relations.
“They will also discuss concrete measures that can be taken in trade, political cooperation, prevention of corruption, and civilisational issues,” he said.
He said the two leaders will also exchange opinions on the direction of bilateral relations taking into account the increasingly challenging international scenario.
This will be followed by a meeting with the chairman of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, where the discussion will focus on cooperation at the parliamentarian level of both countries.
On Saturday evening, Anwar will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, which will be followed by a bilateral meeting.
“The discussion between the two leaders will focus on the fields of economy, trade and investment,” said Zambry.
In addition to deliberating concrete efforts to increase trade and closer relations between the two countries, he said, Anwar is expected to discuss issues of mutual interest during his meeting with the Chinese leaders, including international and regional geopolitical issues as well as security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The prime minister is also scheduled to deliver a public lecture at Tsinghua University, which is one of the most distinguished universities in China, in addition to attending a roundtable meeting with high-profile investors and Chinese captains of industry.
Anwar is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at a business forum which will be attended by nearly 1,000 participants from Malaysia and China.
Despite his jam-packed itinerary, he is also scheduled to attend a breaking of fast event with Malaysians in China organised by the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce, which will also be attended by leaders of Muslim communities in China.
During the visit, at least 14 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) related to trade and agriculture will be signed between the two countries.
Apart from Zambry, the Malaysian delegation will comprise international trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, transport minister Loke Siew Fook, local government development minister Nga Kor Ming, science, technology and innovation minister Chang Lih Kang, and tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009. The value of trade between the two countries in 2022 was RM487.13 billion, an increase of 15.6% compared to the previous year. It was 17.1% of Malaysia’s total global trade worth RM2.8 trillion.