Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Malaysia for a three-day state visit next week, according to Kuala Lumpur officials.
Xi’s trip comes as he pledged to deepen ties with neighbouring countries.
According to Malaysian government spokesperson, Fahmi Fadzil stated that the visit is part of the Malaysian government’s ongoing efforts to expand its trading links with diverse countries.
This will be the first visit of the Chinese president to Malaysia since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took office in 2022.
Xi’s trip to Kuala Lumpur assumes significance as Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is China’s largest trade partner and the two sides are holding discussions to conclude a code of conduct on the disputed South China Sea.
The visit came after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on more than 180 countries, including 104% on China and 24% on Malaysia, which is Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy.
Xi has vowed to strengthen ties with neighbouring nations, including “appropriately” managing differences with them.
China has competing maritime claims with several ASEAN members, including Malaysia.
His three-day trip, which begins April 15, is considered as part of China’s efforts to strengthen its economic and political presence in the region.
According to media reports, the Chinese president is anticipated to visit Vietnam before traveling to Malaysia, and then Cambodia after his trip to Kuala Lumpur.
Since 2009, China has been Malaysia’s main commercial partner.
