BUSY SCHEDULE FOR MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER IN BEIJING

By Tham Choy Lin

BEIJING, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi has a packed schedule in Beijing where he will be attending the
seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) on Friday and Saturday.

Malaysian ambassador to China Syed Norulzaman Kamarulzaman said
Abdullah would officially launch the Beijing representative office of Khazanah
Nasional, Malaysia's sovereign investment arm, on Thursday afternoon.

"The prime minister will also have bilateral meetings with Asian and
European leaders. We are also working on a bilateral meeting between the prime
minister and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao," he told Malaysian newsmen here
Wednesday.

Among the leaders Abdullah will meet are Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, Pakistani Prime
Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Cypriot President Demetris
Christofias.

More than 30 heads of government are gathering in the Chinese capital to
attend the Asem summit amid continuing worries about the violatile international
financial crisis which has put a drag on the global economy and stock
markets.

Syed Norulzaman said the crisis would be discussed at a working dinner
among
Asean leaders on Thursday and over a breakfast meeting with Asean's dialogue
partners -- China, Japan and South Korea -- before the Asem summit opened on
Friday afternoon.

"The Asean Plus 3 breakfast meeting is confined to the global financial
crisis and I think the leaders would be looking forward to hearing the views of
China which is a major global economic power," he said.

Abdullah is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday night accompanied by
Jeanne Abdullah.

The prime minister's delegation to the summit includes Deputy Foreign
Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri, Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Rastam Mohd Isa
and senior officials from the natural resources and
environment, agriculture, and international trade and industry
ministries.

-- BERNAMA