State banquet to honour Hu

What say you on the issue below?

KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, said there was big potential for Malaysia-China cooperation to be taken to a new level to contribute more to regional peace and stability.

The King said the two countries had established strategic partnerships in various fields covering trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, education, and science and technology.

Honoured guests:Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin presenting a speech in welcoming Chinese President Hu Jintao during the state banquet at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, last night. Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing will be visiting the country for two days before heading to Singapore.

“The maturity of bilateral relations between the two nations has been accompanied by positive developments in various sectors, including cooperation at the highest level and interaction between our peoples, forming a strong foundation for the Joint Strategic Plan between the Malaysian and Chinese Governments with focus on 12 strategic areas,” he said at a state banquet at Istana Negara last night in honour of Chinese President Hu Jintao who arrived yesterday on a two-day official visit.

Also present were Hu’s wife Liu Yongqing, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Hu said in the past 35 years since China and Malaysia established diplomatic ties, the two countries had witnessed fast growth of the bilateral relationship.

“The close China-Malaysia strategic cooperation serves the fundamental interests of our nations and peoples, and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” he added.

He said Najib’s visit to China in June had strengthened mutually beneficial cooperation and taken China-Malaysia strategic cooperation to a new level.

Several memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during a meeting between Najib and Hu today.

Hu will attend a luncheon hosted by Najib at ShangriLa Hotel in Kuala Lumpur before visiting Malacca.

Hu and his wife are scheduled to depart for Singapore from the KL International Airport at 4.30pm.