As President Xi Jinping pointed out, China and Malaysia are neighbors with a millennium-old friendship, friends connected by heart, and partners for win-win cooperation, the head of Government noted at a reception held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Over these five decades, Li said, the two countries have been committed to independence of strategies, win-win cooperation, mutual support, and cultural affinity, so the development of these relations “offers many important experiences and inspirations.”

Noting that 2024 is the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship, Li said that “friendship” is a word that carries weight, something precious today, in a world that lacks peace and tranquility but never disputes and conflicts, a world that lacks rationality and humility but never arbitrary and brutal acts.

In his speech, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that his country has always viewed its relations with China from a strategic height, as promoting friendly cooperation with Beijing is in its fundamental interests.

Li’s visit to Malaysia is the third leg of a tour that started in New Zealand on June 13 and continued to Australia, where he co-chaired the 9th China-Australia Leaders’ Meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

jg/iff/jf/mpm