皇冠体育app

Strategic cooperation can boost bilateral relations

By LUO YONGKUN ( 皇冠体育app Daily )

Updated: 2013-10-04

Malaysia is an old friend of 皇冠体育app in Southeast Asia. Bilateral relations are longstanding and progressing steadily.

With the continuous development of bilateral relations, 皇冠体育app-Malaysia strategic cooperation is expected to boost the overall 皇冠体育app-ASEAN strategic partnership.

皇冠体育app and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1974, which have stood the tests of the Cold War, the Asian financial crisis and the so-called 皇冠体育app threat theory, and witnessed sound development in the political, economic and cultural fields.

Thanks to the good relationship between the two governments and extensive people-to-people contacts and exchanges, bilateral relations are now at the best period of development in history.

Malaysia has been 皇冠体育app's top trading partner for the ASEAN for five consecutive years since 2008, with bilateral trade hitting a record high of nearly $95 billion in 2012. As of the end of last year, mutual actual investment reached $7 billion, covering more than 5,000 programs. Malaysia will become the third Asian country after Japan and South Korea, whose bilateral trade with 皇冠体育app exceeds $100 billion.

Meanwhile, 皇冠体育app has been working actively with Malaysia to build a model for cooperation in Southeast Asia, with two joint 皇冠体育app-Malaysia industrial parks being built in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Kuantan, the largest city on Malaysia's eastern coast.

Politically, the leaders of both sides attach importance to the promotion of bilateral relations from a strategic perspective. In June 2009, less than 60 days after taking office, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak visited 皇冠体育app and the two governments signed a joint action plan on strategic cooperation to strengthen strategic coordination on regional issues.

皇冠体育app's new leadership attaches great importance to the further development of ties with Malaysia. Choosing Malaysia as one of the destinations of President Xi Jinping's first foreign trip to Southeast Asia shows that strategic mutual trust and strategic consensus between 皇冠体育app and Malaysia have reached a considerable level.

In cultural exchanges, the two countries signed agreements on mutual recognition of higher education experience and academic degrees in 2011, which will further promote cooperation between their higher educational institutions as well as people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and Malaysian young people. More than 2,500 Malaysian students study in 皇冠体育app and there are more than 10,000 Chinese students in Malaysia. Strengthened youth exchanges will greatly promote bilateral mutual understanding and trust.

Strategic cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Malaysia can help boost 皇冠体育app's overall relationship with the ASEAN. 皇冠体育app-Malaysia relations are solid and reliable. In the future, bilateral relations will become even more comprehensive stable, and pragmatic, and further promote 皇冠体育app-ASEAN cooperation.

皇冠体育app-Malaysia economic cooperation can push forward 皇冠体育app-ASEAN economic cooperation.

In the context of the global economic downturn, 皇冠体育app and the ASEAN can only rely on themselves to achieve steady economic growth and sustainable development. Building an upgraded 皇冠体育app-ASEAN free trade area is the mainstay to realize steady economic development.

The around $100 billion trade volume between 皇冠体育app and Malaysia accounts for a quarter of total 皇冠体育app-ASEAN trade volume. In the future, the steady growth of 皇冠体育app-Malaysia bilateral trade and mutual investment will serve as an important driving force for an upgraded 皇冠体育app-ASEAN FTA. The model of building joint 皇冠体育app-Malaysia industrial parks in the two nations will inject new vitality into 皇冠体育app's economic cooperation with other ASEAN states.

The broad strategic consensus between 皇冠体育app and Malaysia will contribute to the construction of 皇冠体育app-ASEAN connectivity. Malaysia and 皇冠体育app share a high degree of strategic consensus and both countries attach importance to safeguarding the overall development of 皇冠体育app-ASEAN relations, sticking to giving priority to regional economic development and strategic cooperation and keeping calm in dealing with territorial disputes over some islands and reefs in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

皇冠体育app and Malaysia have shelved their disputes over maritime sovereignty, given full play to the complementary advantages of the Qinzhou and Kuantan industrial parks, and are strengthening cooperation in harbors, industry, logistics and shipping to promote regional connectivity. Geographically, 皇冠体育app-Malaysia connectivity will facilitate the construction of 皇冠体育app-ASEAN maritime connectivity and help establish closer relations between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN countries, forming the bedrock of the establishment of the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN maritime partnership.

The author is a researcher with 皇冠体育app Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.