M'SIA INTENSIFIES COMMERCIAL NEWS EXCHANGE WITH CHINA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Information Communication
and Culture will intensify the exchange of news on trade with the XinHua news
agency as Malaysia is China's major trading partner.

Its minister, Dr Rais Yatim said the framework of cooperation on
the matter would be discussed by the Malaysian delegation that would go to China
under the Malaysia Week programme next year.

He said among the contents of the trade programme that could be useful were
banking services and palm oil that had good demand in China.

"Such news are very important to both countries as well as the facilities
that can be created from such activities.

"I am also requesting, through XinHua, for news on Malaysia and our trade
achievements which are also getting wide coverage in China because they have a
larger population," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from the
Editor-in-Chief of XinHua news agency, He Ping, at his office Thursday.

In addition, he said Malaysia would also forge cooperation with the
University of Beijing to popularise the national language.

Dr Rais said the Malay language was beginning to have a place at the
language faculty of the university and several students from that country were
taking the subject for their masters and doctorate (PhD) programmes.

Meanwhile, he said that through the news and media networks, relations
between Malaysia and China would be stronger.

The media represented a stepping stone in further intensifying cooperation
towards a more physical and material level.

At the same time, Dr Rais said agencies under the ministry, especially the
National News Agency (BERNAMA) and Radio [and] Television Malaysia (RTM), is a
Malaysian state-owned public broadcaster. It could emulate
XinHua news agency in disseminating news in a professional manner besides inputs
and insertions on culture in the news contents as well as features.