BIG POTENTIAL FOR HIGHTENED M'SIA-CHINA COOPERATION - KING

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- King Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin said there is big potential for Malaysia-China cooperation to be taken to
a new level and contributing more to regional peace and stability.

The King said the two countries had established strategic partnership in
various fields covering trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, education, and
science and technology.

"The maturity of bilateral relations between the two nations has been
accompanied by positive development in various sectors, including cooperation at
the highest level and interaction between our peoples, forming a strong
foundation for the Joint Strategic Plan between the Malaysian and Chinese
governments with focus on 12 strategic areas."

Tuanku Mizan said this at a state banquet at National Palace Monday night
in honour of China President Hu Jintao who is on a two-day official visit to
Malaysia.

Also present were Hu's wife Liu Yongqing, Prime Minister Najib Razak and his
wife Rosmah Mansor, and former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Hu and his wife, arrived here this afternoon, to reciprocate the state
visit to China by Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail in 2005 when
he was the King, and Tuanku Mizan attending the official
opening of the Beijing Olympics in August last year.

This is Hu's second visit to Malaysia after having visited the country
as China vice-president in May 2002.

Tuanku Mizan was confident that with the existing spirit of solidarity and
understanding between the two countries and exchange of visits at the highest
level and between the people of both countries, Malaysia-China bilateral
relations would continue to grow in strength.

The King said he was also proud that this year is the 35th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China, and in fact
Malaysia was the first Asean country to have established such ties with China.

Tuanku Mizan said Hu's visit was most meaningful and important as it was the
third time that China's head of state had officially visited Malaysia in the
history of Malaysia-China relations.


The King said Malaysia and China also shared similar views on various
regional and international issues, and both countries had cooperated at several
international forums to ensure the interests Malaysia and China and that of
other developing countries were safeguarded.

Meanwhile, Hu said "Malaysia is a friendly neighbour of China and people of
the two countries enjoy time-honoured friendship".

He said in the past 35 years since China and Malaysia established diplomatic
ties, the two countries had witnessed fast growth of the bilateral relationship
as evidenced by regular exchange of high-level visits, close people-to-people
ties and fruitful cooperation in all fields.

"As developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, China and Malaysia
share extensive common interests. The close China-Malaysia strategic cooperation
serves the fundamental interests of our nations and peoples, and contributes to
peace, stability and prosperity in the region," he added.

He also said that the visit by Najib to China in June had strengthened
mutually beneficial cooperation and taken China-Malaysia strategic cooperation
to a new level.

On Wednesday morning, the Chinese President will have a meeting with Najib
at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya. Several memorandums of
understanding are expected to be signed during the meeting, followed by a joint
press conference by the two leaders.

Meanwhile, Hu's wife will have a separate programme. Hu will attend a
luncheon hosted by Najib at Shangri-la Hotel in Kuala Lumpur before visiting
Malacca, which is located in the southern region of the Peninsular Malaysia, on
the Straits of Malacca.

Hu and his wife are scheduled to depart for Singapore from the Kuala Lumpur
International Airport at 4.30pm Wednesday.

-- BERNAMA