Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday attended a luncheon in Kuala Lumpur with over 200 business representatives from both countries.

Li said in his address during the event that in the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, economic and trade cooperation has always played a very important role in bilateral ties. 

With the further development of China-Malaysia relations, the continuous alignment of development strategies between the two countries, the persistent display of complementary advantages and the ongoing advancement of industrial upgrades will bring more new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation and for enterprises from both countries to invest and thrive, Li said.

He said China is willing to accelerate the implementation of various cooperation agreements with Malaysia, jointly advance major projects and provide more growth points for cooperation and mutual benefit for both sides.

As the main force in China-Malaysia economic and trade cooperation, enterprises form an important foundation for the healthy development of the relations between the two countries, Li said, adding that it is hoped that enterprises from both sides will continue to cultivate the markets of both countries, make full use of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), continuously tap into trade growth potential, strive to unleash the momentum of investment cooperation and act as practitioners of mutual benefit.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of the business communities and friends from all sectors in both countries, the next 50 years of China-Malaysia relations will surely be another golden 50 years, he said.

Anwar said China is an inclusive and friendly country that understands different cultures and that Malaysia and China have always adhered to mutual respect and learning from each other, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation. 

He said the relationship between Malaysia and China is rich in content and significant in meaning, adding that Malaysia is firmly committed to deepening its friendly relations with China and willing to enhance mutual understanding through dialogue.

Anwar added that Malaysia aims to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology and education and promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning, thereby better benefiting the people and future generations of both countries.