Malaysia and China have achieved a win-win cooperation

China and Malaysia are both important developing countries and emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region. They are neighbors that have been close for thousands of years, friends that have crossed hearts, and partners for win-win cooperation. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China Malaysia relations have maintained a high level of development, with frequent high-level exchanges and interactions, sustained consolidation of political mutual trust, fruitful achievements in practical cooperation, diverse cultural exchanges, close and effective multilateral cooperation, and established a model of mutual understanding and win-win cooperation among neighboring countries.

A durian brings the sweetness of cooperation to both parties

Johor is one of the main durian producing regions in Malaysia. In the durian plantation of Malaysia's Top Fruit Co., Ltd., tall durian branches and leaves are lush, with fist sized durians hanging from the branches. A huge net was propped up under the tree, waiting to receive ripe and fallen fruits.

This year, Dinghao Company partnered with Xiamen University Malaysia Campus to monitor the growth trend of durian using artificial intelligence technology. In the office, Chen Xueyi, the director of the company's research and operations department, showed reporters the contents of a computer: a long table detailing the growth of all durian trees on the farm. Click on the image, and the number of flowers blooming and fruits produced on the tree are clearly visible. We regularly submit photos of durian tree growth to the system, and the system will perform intelligent detection and data analysis. This helps us to make more accurate statistics, predictions, and improve work efficiency, "said Chen Xueyi.

In the factory workshop, workers orderly sort, clean, weigh, pack and seal boxes. This batch of Maoshan King durians will be shipped to Shenzhen, China that evening. The company has been engaged in durian export business to China for more than 20 years, and now there is an increasing sense of urgency to 'seize time', "said Chen Shuyi, the head of Dinghao Company." Since August last year, fresh durians from Malaysia have been successfully exported to China, and the company's orders have increased significantly. Now, fresh durians can be delivered to Chinese consumers as early as the second day after harvesting

A durian has brought the sweetness of cooperation to both China and Malaysia. In recent years, the scale of economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia has rapidly expanded. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached 212.04 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 11.4%, setting a new historical high. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years and has been a major source of investment for Malaysia for many years. Malaysia is China's second largest trading partner and the largest source of imports in ASEAN.

With the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the degree of market openness between China and Malaysia has further expanded. China's massive market capacity and continuously optimized and upgraded market environment bring more opportunities and dividends to countries including Malaysia. Malaysia actively participates in exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the China ASEAN Expo, with specialty products such as white coffee, mangosteen, bird's nest, and palm oil entering thousands of households in China; Chinese fruits such as Luochuan apples, Korla pears, and Gashi plums have also been placed on the dining tables of Malaysian people.

Malaysia and China have achieved a win-win situation through cooperation, "said Malaysia's Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli. In recent years, Chinese companies have continued to increase investment and expand their business in Malaysia, creating profits while also making significant contributions to Malaysia's economic development." Now, Malaysia and China have an excellent opportunity to promote common development through cooperation

A car showcases the potential for cooperation in emerging fields

At the 3S store of Proton Motors in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a sleek new energy vehicle in dark gray attracted many customers to test drive it. Customers have given satisfactory reviews for "strong power," "full of technology," and "great interior. This model, jointly developed by China's Geely Automobile and Proton Automobile, is Malaysia's first domestically produced new energy vehicle and has now become one of the best-selling new energy vehicle models in Malaysia.

Proton Motors suffered consecutive losses. In 2017, Geely signed a cooperation agreement with Proton to introduce advanced technologies such as intelligent connected systems into Malaysia's automotive manufacturing industry and establish a local assembly line. Both parties have achieved deep integration in the entire industry chain, including technology, products, manufacturing, and procurement. Proton has been ranked second in sales and market share in the Malaysian market for six consecutive years, and as a national brand in Malaysia, Proton has been revitalized.

Now, both parties are working together to build the Tanjung Malin High Tech Valley in Malaysia, which will become a research and manufacturing center for ASEAN new energy vehicles and advanced technologies. The cooperation between Geely and Proton has brought about a leap forward, "said Sai Faisha, Managing Director of Proton's parent company, Diversified Heavy Industries Group.

From the 10 MW floating photovoltaic power station in Selangor and the 50 MW floating photovoltaic power station in Sarawak, which have been connected to the grid for power generation, to Chinese companies such as Trina Solar and JinkoSolar assisting in the development of the local photovoltaic industry chain, and to Chinese new energy vehicle charging equipment manufacturers and operators such as Teck working together with local partners to build a charging infrastructure network... China and Malaysia have achieved remarkable results in cooperation in the field of new energy, effectively promoting Malaysia's energy transformation.

Huawei, ZTE and other companies have deep cooperation with local companies to provide better communication network services for Malaysian users; The large-scale data center park of Wanguo Data helps to improve the local digital infrastructure and computing power level... Xu Qingqi, Chairman of the Malaysia New Asia Strategic Research Center, believes that there is huge potential for cooperation between Malaysia and China in the field of digital economy. He hopes that the two countries can strengthen policy coordination and industry docking, so that the achievements of scientific and technological development can benefit more people.

Emerging fields such as green energy, electric vehicles, and digital technology provide new impetus for both sides to expand cooperation. These collaborations will help Malaysia improve productivity, promote technology transfer, upgrade talent, achieve high-quality development, and make positive contributions to Malaysia's development and prosperity, "said Majid, President of the Malaysia China Friendship Association.

A branch campus showcases continuous deepening of cultural exchanges

At noon, the clear bell for the end of class rang at Xiamen University Malaysia Campus. Associate Professor Ye Ruiqiang from the China ASEAN Institute of Oceanography, who had just finished class, returned to his office and, without taking a break, opened his phone to discuss the latest developments in macroalgae research with Professor Liu Tao from the School of Oceanography and Earth Sciences at Xiamen University.

Ye Ruiqiang is a Malaysian Chinese who joined Xiamen University Malaysia Branch in 2016, engaged in teaching and research work in the field of biotechnology. In 2024, Xiamen University opened up two-way research projects. At the invitation of Liu Tao, the two led their respective teams to jointly apply for a project to conduct research on macroalgae. Seaweed is the main raw material for extracting carrageenan, widely used in the production fields of food, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, etc., and has important economic value. There are differences in the quality of seaweed in different sea areas. We hope to find large-scale seaweed that is cost-effective and can be converted and promoted through joint research, "said Ye Ruiqiang.

It is reported that with the help of the cross-border research cooperation platform between Xiamen University Malaysia Branch, Xiamen University Headquarters, and local universities in Malaysia, the project is progressing smoothly. The Malaysian team has recorded the distribution of large seaweeds in the main waters of Malaysia. The Chinese team has completed basic research on seaweed and applied the relevant research results. It is expected that the joint project will be completed early next year. Ye Ruiqiang said, "We maintain close communication with our partners, share information and experience, and jointly carry out training, greatly accelerating the progress of the project

As the first branch established by a Chinese university in Malaysia, Xiamen University Malaysia Branch is a flagship project of educational cooperation between China and Malaysia. The school officially began enrollment and operation in February 2016, and has trained over 6000 graduates in the past 10 years. Currently, there are more than 9100 students from 48 countries and regions. Thanks to the high attention paid by the governments of China and Malaysia, as well as the continuous deepening of bilateral relations, the school has achieved rapid development. We are committed to building an international university with first-class teaching and research, multicultural integration, and cultivating more high-quality talents to promote China Malaysia friendship, "said Wang Ruifang, President of Xiamen University Malaysia Branch.

Cooperation in the field of education is an important component of cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia. In recent years, cooperation between the two countries in the field of vocational education has been continuously deepening. The China Malaysia Railway Modern Craftsmanship Institute has developed multiple professional course standards, skill training standards, etc. based on the development needs of the East Coast Railway in Malaysia, to cultivate railway professionals for the local area; The China Malaysia Digital Economy Modern Craftsmanship Institute meets the talent demand in the fields of digital technology, electronic information, and manufacturing through academic education, continuing education, skills training, and technical consulting. Manzeri, Chairman of the Council of the China Malaysia Industry Education International Cooperation Center and Member of Parliament, stated that Malaysia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in the field of vocational education. As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Malaysia looks forward to leveraging the ASEAN cooperation platform to promote China's experience in vocational education development to Malaysia and other ASEAN countries.

The personnel exchanges between China and Malaysia are becoming increasingly frequent, and the friendship between the people is constantly deepening. According to Chinese statistics, in 2024, with the promotion of visa free policies, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia reached about 3.8 million, more than double the 1.66 million in 2023; There are over 500 flights between the two countries every week. China is also one of the popular tourist destinations favored by Malaysian people. Malaysia's Minister of Transport, Lu Zhaofu, stated that the visa free policy has made it more convenient for Malaysian citizens to travel to China and promoted mutual understanding between the two countries.

(Our reporters Liu Hui and Li Xinyi participated in the writing)

People's Daily (10th edition, April 15, 2025)