BEIJING, June 18 – Premier Li Qiang’s visits to New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia are significant for many reasons. For instance, his visit to New Zealand on Thursday coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and New Zealand.
Li’s visit to Australia has gained added importance because it is the first by a Chinese premier since 2017. And his visit to Malaysia coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, and marks the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship.
Li’s visits to the three countries will not only strengthen bilateral relations but also boost regional cooperation, said Jia Duqiang, an associate researcher at the Chinese Acadey of Social Sciences; National Institute of International Strategy.
“As for China’s relationship with Malaysia, it is friendly and mutually beneficial. To be sure, Sino-Malaysian ties are a model of friendly cooperation.
“Apart from deepening strategic mutual trust, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in projects under the Belt and Road Initiative framework. And last year, they announced their plan to jointly build a China-Malaysia community with a shared future,” said Jia in an article published by ChinaDaily.
During his visit to Malaysia, Li will attend the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides, and discuss with the country’s leaders how to deepen Sino-Malaysian cooperation.
