China and Malaysia agree to enhance strategic cooperation

What say you on the issue below?

PUTRAJAYA: Chinese President Hu Jintao said China and Malaysia have agreed to work to enhance their strategic and cooperative relationship.

Both countries agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, take effective measures to implement their joint action plan in strategic cooperation and work together to explore new areas of cooperation.

“We both agreed that we should work together to enhance our cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure development and finance and we should work together to weather the impact of the global financial crisis and jointly promote regional economic stability,” he said at a joint news conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here on Wednesday.

Hu is on a two-day visit to Malaysia which began on Tuesday. This is his second visit to the country, the first being in 2002 when he was the republic’s vice-president.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, left, speaks as Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak listens during a joint press conference at the prime minister's office in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.

He was accompanied by a 140-strong delegation which will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in Singapore.

Hu said both countries also agreed to deepen their cooperation in education, science and technology, culture and tourism and also to exchange views on international and regional issues.

Besides that, they agreed to deepen “trans-Asean” relations to promote cooperation in East Asia and enhance their communication and cognition at the Apec and other multilateral frameworks to make new contributions to the development of the Asia Pacific region.

Hu said the frienship between the peoples of the two countries had matured over the past 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and their practical cooperation in all fields had yielded fruitful outcomes.

“Last year, the two-way trade volume topped US$53bil and Malaysia has become China’s largest trade partner among Asean (the Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries.

“The good progress made in China-Malaysia relations has served the fundamental interests of both countries and their people and is also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in our region,” he said.

Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz shaking hands with Chairman of China Banking Regulatory Commission Liu Ming Kang at the Sugning of Memorandum of Understanding between bank Negara Malaysia and China Banking Regulation Commission Cooperation at Perdana Putra, Prime Minster's office. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chinese President Hu Jintao witnessed the signing. = Starpic by Rohaizat Md Darus