Malaysia, China sign deals on economic, trade cooperation

Malaysia and China signed a slew of deals on Wednesday, renewing a five-year economic co-operation pact and allowing export of fresh durians, during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties, according to Reuters.

Li Qiang met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, following his arrival in Kuala Lumpur the same day.

After the meeting, they witnessed the signing of more than a dozen pacts on co-operation in areas ranging from the digital economy to green development, housing, tourism, and communications, among others.

The new five-year pact that runs to 2028 provides for strategic collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and financial services.

China also agreed to allow the import of fresh durian from Malaysia after it meets sanitary requirements.

Malaysia, one of the world's biggest producers of the fruit, was previously allowed to ship only the whole frozen fruit and its products to China, with export valued at 1.19 billion MYR ($253 million) in 2023.

China has been Malaysia’s largest trade partner since 2009, and the total trade was valued at $98.9 billion in 2023.

On the same day, Li Qiang is also expected to meet Malaysia's King, Sultan Ibrahim, and attend a ground-breaking ceremony at a construction site for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The 665-km, 50-billion-MYR (11-billion USD) railway will link peninsular Malaysia's east and west coasts by the end of 2026.