Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim present souvenirs to each other prior to the reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia and the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

With the concerted efforts of business communities and individuals across various sectors in both China and Malaysia, the next 50 years of China-Malaysia relations promise to be another golden era, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday.

Li made the remarks when attending the luncheon of China-Malaysia business community with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Around 200 representatives from the business community of both countries attended the meeting.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia 50 years ago, economic and trade cooperation has always played a crucial role in bilateral relations, Li said.

In recent years, China-Malaysia economic and trade cooperation has rapidly expanded, with its scope broadened and quality improved, showcasing a thriving and vigorous growth, he noted.

As China-Malaysia relations continue to deepen, the alignment of their development strategies, the emergence of complementary strengths, and the ongoing advancement of industrial upgrades will bring more new opportunities for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, as well as for investment and business activities by enterprises from both nations, Li said.

China is ready to work with Malaysia to accelerate the implementation of various cooperation agreements, jointly advance major projects, and expand cooperation and achieve more win-win results for both sides, he said.

Li said enterprises play a leading role in economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia, forming an important foundation for the healthy development of bilateral relations.

He expressed hope that enterprises from both countries would continue to deeply explore each other's markets, make full use of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, continuously tap the potential for trade growth, strive to unleash investment cooperation momentum, and be practitioners of mutual benefit.

Li also encouraged enterprises to actively expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green development and the digital economy, make better plans for future industries like artificial intelligence and life sciences, and continuously optimize the allocation of various innovative resources, thereby becoming leaders in innovative development.

Additionally, he urged enterprises to contribute to people-to-people connectivity by promoting communication, dialogue, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, and sharing more stories of China-Malaysia friendship with both societies to enhance mutual understanding and trust.

Anwar said in his speech that China is an inclusive and friendly country that understands different cultures.

Malaysia and China always adhere to mutual respect and mutual learning, and their cooperation is mutually beneficial, he said, adding that Malaysia-China relations are rich in connotation and profound in significance.

Malaysia is firmly committed to deepening friendly relations with China and is willing to work with China to further enhance mutual understanding through dialogue, deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, education and other fields, and promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, so as to better benefit the two peoples and future generations, he said.