China Backs Malaysia’s Regional Economic Initiatives

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama)-- China has expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s regional initiatives, including the ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council Cooperation Summit, reflecting open regionalism aimed at supporting economic and financial stability and coordinated development across Asia.

In a joint statement on building a strategic Malaysia-China community with a shared future, Malaysia expressed hope for high-level participation from China at the summit.

The joint statement was issued following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Malaysia, which concluded today at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.

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According to the statement, both sides agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework and promote the comprehensive and balanced implementation of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 to build an Asia-Pacific Community.

Malaysia also expressed support for China’s hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2026.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to advancing regional economic integration, promoting the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, and looking forward to the full conclusion of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 for the early signing of the Upgrade Protocol and its timely implementation.

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The statement further noted that Malaysia supports Hong Kong’s accession to the RCEP.

It also highlighted that China welcomes Malaysia as a BRICS partner country and is willing to actively support Malaysia's deeper integration into BRICS cooperation.

Both sides committed to jointly promoting universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation, advancing trade and investment facilitation, and rejecting the unilateral trade restrictive measures, including arbitrary tariff hikes inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

“Malaysia and China are committed to upholding a rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable and transparent multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core,” it said.

Accordingly, Malaysia and China will collaborate to achieve meaningful outcomes at the 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon in 2026 and strengthen cooperation to advocate for the evolution of WTO rules while defending the legitimate rights and interests of developing members.

Malaysia also welcomed China’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, reiterating that the agreement remains open to economies that meet the Auckland Principles.

--BERNAMA