PM Anwar to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang in Nanning

NANNING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to have a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, on Sunday (Sept 17).

Anwar, who also serves as the Finance Minister, will visit Nanning to attend the 20th China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO), 2023, at the invitation of Li.

The Consul General of Malaysia in Nanning, Ahmad Phadil Ismail, stated that this would be the second meeting between the two leaders this year, following Anwar’s first visit to China in March.

“The bilateral meeting will allow the prime ministers to follow up on their previous discussions,” he stated to Malaysian reporters on Saturday (Sept 16).

Ahmad Phadil added that Anwar will also engage with Chinese corporate giants after the meeting with Li.

During Anwar’s visit to China in March, he visited Beijing and Hainan and secured a record RM170 billion worth of investment commitments from China, marking his first visit to the country after taking office in November.

Ahmad Phadil mentioned that during Anwar’s one-day working visit to Nanning, he is also expected to deliver speeches at the opening ceremony of the Caexpo and the China-Asean Business and Investment Summit (Cabis), alongside Li and other Asean leaders, including those from Laos and Vietnam.

Anwar will also officiate the “Malaysian Pavilion” at Caexpo.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s separate statement, the bilateral meeting between Anwar and Li will involve discussions on the state of Malaysia-China bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Following the meeting, Li will host a luncheon in honor of the Prime Minister.

Caexpo is a major international exhibition co-organized by China and Asean, serving as a vital platform for businesses and enterprises from the Asean region and China to explore business synergies and promote their products within the world’s largest free trade area.

Since its inception in 2004, Malaysia has been participating in Caexpo, with a total of 107 Malaysian companies participating this year under the Malaysian pavilion coordinated by the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), as stated in the ministry’s statement.

During the visit, Anwar will be accompanied by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Mohamad Alamin, who is representing Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Local Government Development Nga Kor Ming, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin, and other senior government officials.

China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009, and in 2022 the trade value between the two countries accounted for about 17.1% of Malaysia’s total global trade worth RM2.8 trillion.

The total trade between Malaysia and China in 2022 reached RM487.13 billion, representing a 15.6% increase compared to the previous year.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the two countries will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. – Bernama