PM ANWAR ARRIVES IN BEIJING FOR LAST STOP OF WORKING VISIT TO CHINA

From Massita Ahmad

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived in Beijing, the last stop of his working visit to China from Nov 4 to 7.

The aircraft carrying Anwar from Shanghai landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6.10 pm local time today.

The Prime Minister was welcomed by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Malaysian Embassy, Norfarina Mohd Azmee, and Defence Attaché First Admiral Mahadzir Mokhtar.

Also present were Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Bin and China’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Sunday (Nov 3), said that in Beijing, Anwar is scheduled to pay a courtesy call to President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

He will also deliver a talk entitled “Bridging Futures: Strengthening Malaysia-China Relations and ASEAN Centrality in a Shifting Global Order” at Peking University and visit the Huawei Executive Briefing Centre.

Anwar is accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.

China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner globally for 15 consecutive years since 2009.

In 2023, total trade with China reached RM450.84 billion (US$98.80 billion), representing 17.1 per cent of Malaysia’s global trade. As of September 2024, the total recorded trade was RM355.15 billion (US$76.72 billion).

In the first half of this year, 15 manufacturing projects were implemented, with investments totalling RM1.2 billion (US$252.5 million).

This visit marks Anwar's third trip to China as Prime Minister, following his first visit in March 2023 and a subsequent one in September of the same year.

-- BERNAMA