President Xi Jinping has said China stands united with Malaysia and other Asian countries against geopolitical confrontation, protectionism, and unilateralism, which endanger the global order.
President Xi arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday, after his trip to Vietnam, as part of a Southeast Asia tour that includes Cambodia as well.
On Wednesday, Xi met Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim ibni Iskandar in Kuala Lumpur and discussed bilateral relations.
Xi then held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a state dinner at the administrative capital of Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur.
"Together, we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian homeland," Xi said as he promised Malaysia greater access to the Chinese market.
"In the face of shocks to global order and economic globalization, China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrents of geopolitical ... confrontation, as well as the counter-currents of unilateralism and protectionism," said Xi.
"China looks forward to working with Malaysia to build a high-quality, strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, ushering in a new 'Golden 50 Years' of bilateral relations," he said.
Ibrahim echoed Xi’s remarks and praised China’s outward-looking approach.
“In some quarters, the rules-based order has been turned on its head, dialogue has yielded to demands, tariffs are imposed without restraint, and the language of cooperation is drowned out by threats and coercion,” said Ibrahim.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009, with bilateral trade reaching S$144.5 billion in 2024, which accounts for 16.8 per cent of Malaysia’s total global trade.
On Monday, Xi held talks with To Lam, Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary and Vietnam's President Luong Cuong.
China and Vietnam signed multiple agreements on cooperation in supply chains and a joint railway project.
US President Donald Trump, who took office in January, has shocked the global markets by imposing extensive tariffs on countries across the world, including China, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
While Trump has delayed some of the tariffs for ninety days, China still faces 145% duties on almost all of its products. Xi, however, did not directly refer to the US in his remarks.