CHINA TO WORK WITH MALAYSIA TO BOOST SYNERGY OF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES: PREMIER LI QIANG

By Siti Radziah Hamzah

BEIJING, June 19 (Bernama) -- China will work with Malaysia to increase synergy of development strategies, fully leverage complementary strengths, and promote solid progress in major projects like the East Coast Rail Link and Two Countries, Twin Parks, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday. 

Li said China would also expand trade and investment with Malaysia, broaden cooperation in areas such as logistics, new energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy and railway equipment, as well as step up cooperation on poverty reduction, to better achieve mutual benefits.

Li arrived in Malaysia for an official three-day visit on Tuesday, the third and last leg of his eight-day tour that has taken him to New Zealand and Australia.

"The two countries also need to deepen tourism, education, youth, sub-national, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and further facilitate cross-border travel between the two sides," said Li in a statement.

The statement was released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

It said China is also ready to enhance multilateral coordination with Malaysia to jointly carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Asian values of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration; uphold ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation, and advance high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

China is also committed to conclude negotiations for Version 3.0 of the China-Asean Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) as soon as possible to make more positive contributions to peace, stability, prosperity and development in the region and the wider world, it added.

-- BERNAMA