BEIJING, Sept 19 – The state visit of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to China, which starts today and ends on Sept 22, is highly anticipated by China, said Malaysia’s Ambassador to China Datuk Norman Muhamad.
He noted that this is the first state visit by a Malaysian King to China in 10 years, marking a significant moment for both nations as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
“This is the first state visit in 10 years … indeed, it has been a long time. We are very pleased to have this visit. China warmly welcomes His Majesty’s visit.
“If we consider the timing, this visit was planned rather late. Normally, with China, state visits involve discussions a year in advance, but due to the close relations between Malaysia and China, when we proposed for His Majesty to visit China after his installation, we immediately received a positive response. We just needed to find a suitable time.
“This visit could not have happened at a better time because, as you all know, this year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Malaysia and China,” he told Bernama.
His Majesty is undertaking the state visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, his first to China since ascending the throne as the 17th King of Malaysia on Jan 31, 2024.
