Xi Jinping Publishes a Signed Article in Malaysian Media

On April 15, during his state visit to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled “Sailing the Ship of China-Malaysia Friendship Toward an Even Brighter Future” in Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily, The Star, and Sun Daily. The full text of the article is as follows:

At the gracious invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, I am soon to pay a state visit to Malaysia. This will be my first visit to this beautiful country in 12 years. I look forward to experiencing firsthand Malaysia’s new developments and transformations, and to engaging in cordial exchanges with my Malaysian friends on friendship and cooperation.

China and Malaysia are friendly neighbors separated only by the sea. The Maritime Silk Road bears witness to the millennia-old bonds of friendship between our two nations, and the enduring ties that have been passed down from generation to generation have grown ever stronger with the passage of time. More than 1,300 years ago, the Tang-dynasty Buddhist monk Yijing crossed the sea in search of the Dharma and made landfall on the Malay Peninsula, where he first recorded the history of the ancient Kedah Kingdom in writing. Over six centuries ago, during his seven great voyages, the Ming-dynasty Chinese navigator Zheng He visited Malacca five times, sowing the seeds of peace and friendship; today, Malacca’s Sam Po Temple, Sam Po Hill, and Sam Po Well stand as enduring symbols of the local people’s deep affection for him. And more than eight decades ago, Malaysian Chinese transport workers volunteered to serve in China at a critical juncture in the War of Resistance Against Japan, rushing to Yunnan to help reopen the vital Burma–Yunnan Highway. These inspiring stories continue to be widely celebrated by the peoples of both China and Malaysia. Looking back on the past while embracing the present, China and Malaysia must join forces to reinvigorate this vessel of friendship that has sailed through the annals of history, ensuring that it continues to move forward steadily and sustainably into the future.

We must firmly hold the helm of strategic guidance. Fifty-one years ago, the leaders of China and Malaysia braved the shadow of the Cold War to establish diplomatic relations, thus pioneering China’s relations with ASEAN member states. Since then, China and Malaysia have consistently upheld strategic autonomy, respected each other’s development paths, and provided mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, setting a model of mutual achievement and win-win cooperation between nations. In 2023, Prime Minister Anwar and I reached an important consensus on jointly building a China–Malaysia community with a shared future, ushering in a new chapter in bilateral relations. The two sides should strengthen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, effectively implement the bilateral government plan for Belt and Road cooperation, intensify alignment of development strategies and exchange of governance experience, and use high-level strategic cooperation to drive the further development of bilateral relations.

We must fortify the cornerstone of pragmatic cooperation. In 2024, bilateral trade between China and Malaysia reached US$212 billion, nearly a thousandfold increase since the establishment of diplomatic relations, with China remaining Malaysia’s largest trading partner for the 16th consecutive year. Fresh Malaysian durians can now be transported from orchards to Chinese supermarkets within a single day, earning widespread popularity among Chinese consumers. The Malaysia–China Kuantan Industrial Park has so far attracted cumulative investments exceeding RMB 11 billion; once all projects in the park are completed and reach full production capacity, they will create numerous long-term jobs. Cooperation between the two countries in such fields as the digital economy, green development, industrial investment, and transport infrastructure construction continues to unlock substantial potential. Both sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, advance high-quality joint efforts under the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen collaboration across industrial and supply chains, and prioritize cooperation in the digital, green, blue, and tourism economies, thereby supporting each other’s modernization processes.

We must row the oars of people-to-people and cultural exchanges with skill and determination. China and Malaysia have granted visa-free entry to each other’s citizens. In 2024, nearly 6 million person-trips were made between the two countries, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The slogan “Malaysia: The Allure of Asia” captures the unique charm of Malaysia’s culture, history, and natural scenery, drawing countless Chinese tourists for leisure and sightseeing. At the same time, an increasing number of Malaysian visitors are coming to China to experience its rich historical heritage and vibrant contemporary dynamism. The peoples of China and Malaysia should visit one another as often as relatives, fostering greater people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and deepening understanding and affinity—especially among the younger generations.

We must set sail on the vessel of multilateral cooperation. China and Malaysia are both important developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, emerging market economies, and members of the Global South, sharing similar positions on upholding international fairness and justice and promoting open and inclusive development. The two countries collaborate closely within frameworks such as East Asian cooperation, APEC, and the United Nations. China welcomes Malaysia’s designation as a BRICS partner country, which aligns with the overarching trend of the Global South uniting to strengthen itself and is conducive to safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. Both sides should intensify their cooperation in international and regional affairs, carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, jointly uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and advance global governance toward greater equity and rationality. It is essential to safeguard the multilateral trading system, maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and foster an international environment characterized by openness and cooperation.

China and Malaysia are a community with a shared future, bound by common security, shared honor and disgrace, and mutual support in times of adversity. “Share blessings and bear hardships together” is a well-known proverb on both sides, encapsulating the very essence of the China–Malaysia community with a shared future. Both countries should courageously take the lead and strive to be at the forefront, jointly forging a bright future of development, growth, and prosperity.

Friendly cooperation between China and the ASEAN member states has stood the test of time, emerging stronger with each passing era. China was the first among ASEAN’s dialogue partners to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and it took the lead in establishing a free-trade area and a comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN. As a result, China-ASEAN cooperation has become the most pragmatic and fruitful within the broader framework of regional collaboration. In the face of challenges such as the Asian financial crisis, the global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as the headwinds against economic globalization—both sides have extended mutual support and assistance, further strengthening their bilateral ties. In 2024, China-ASEAN trade surpassed US$980 billion, marking the fifth consecutive year in which the two have been each other’s largest trading partner; meanwhile, substantive negotiations on Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area have been brought to a close. An increasing number of high-quality, distinctive ASEAN products are now finding their way into Chinese households, while Chinese literature, animation, films, and television programs are steadily making their way into ASEAN countries, bringing with them China’s fine traditional culture and the vibrant spirit of modern life.

China firmly supports ASEAN’s unity and the building of the ASEAN Community, and upholds ASEAN’s central role in the regional architecture. China fully supports Malaysia in its capacity as the 2025 ASEAN Chair and looks forward to Malaysia, as the coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, playing an even stronger bridging role. China is comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a modern socialist country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. This model of modernization follows the path of peaceful development, and China stands ready to work with all countries to achieve peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity. China’s economy boasts a solid foundation, numerous strengths, strong resilience, and vast potential, and the underlying conditions and fundamental trends that support its long-term positive trajectory remain unchanged. With an economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2025, China will continue to promote high-quality development, further expand high-standard opening-up, share development opportunities with all countries, and contribute greater stability and certainty to the regional and global economies.

Unity is strength, and only through cooperation can we achieve win-win outcomes. China stands ready to work with Malaysia and other ASEAN member states to align with the historic trend of peace and development, resist the undercurrents of geopolitical rivalry and bloc confrontation, and push back against the tide of unilateralism and protectionism. Together, we will forge ahead in building a high-level, strategic China–Malaysia community with a shared future and jointly create an even closer China–ASEAN community with a shared future.