CHINA WANTS TO PROMOTE FURTHER TIES WITH MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- China wants to promote further
understanding and cooperation with Malaysia, visiting China's Vice Minister of
the State Council Information Office, Dong Yunhu said today.

China is willing to work with Malaysia to expand cooperation in all areas so
as to bring more benefits to the peoples of both nations, he said during a
briefing in conjunction with his visit to the Malaysian national news agency,
Bernama.

Dong and his delegation, which also included Director-General of the State
Council Information Office, Lu Guangjin and his deputy Ding Xiaoming, are
currently on a five-day official visit to Malaysia.

Bernama Chairman Abdul Rahman Sulaiman in his welcoming remarks said
that Malaysia, under the present leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, was
committed towards strengthening further ties between the two countries, with
priority to promoting two-way trade.

According to available figures, trade volume between the two countries last
year reached almost US$52 billion, from which Malaysia enjoyed US$12.7 billion
trade surplus.

Dong also said that the State Council Information Office, which was
responsible for explaining government policies as well as promoting cooperation
with the media, both from China and other nations, was also interested in
learning Bernama's experience in managing public opinion.

He also expressed China's interest in promoting further exchange of news and
information with Bernama, especially in financial news.

Bernama General Manager Hasnul Hassan said the news agency received one
representative from China Radio International (CRI) last year, who was given a
one-month training at both Bernama Radio24 and the editorial department, with
two more to be assigned this year.

As part of the exchange programme, Bernama also dispatched its journalist
for a two-week training at CRI, he said.

Bernama Editor-in-Chief Yong Soo Heong said Bernama had established a
good relationship with China's national news agency, Xinhua especially in the
exchange of news, adding that Bernama could work closer with the agency in
providing financial news and information.

Besides Xinhua, Bernama had also established cooperation with the signing of
a memorandum of understanding with China's People's Daily in 2007 for the
exchange of news, said Yong, adding that he looked forward to further the
cooperation with the newspaper.

People's Daily, a daily newspaper, is the organ of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party of China (CCP).
-- BERNAMA