KEY POINTS
- Chinese President Xi Jinping met Malaysia’s King and Prime Minister
- Malaysia and China signed agreements on AI, tech, media, film, and tourism
- Xi’s visit comes amid US tariffs and escalating trade war
- Xi called for multilateralism and stable global supply chains
- Xi aims to deepen regional ties and counter US trade pressure
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as part of his ongoing tour of Southeast Asia to strengthen regional ties in the face of an escalating trade war with the United States.
Xi was welcomed with full state honours at the golden-domed palace in Kuala Lumpur, where he walked a red carpet and inspected a ceremonial guard of honour, accompanied by a royal band.
After an audience and luncheon with King Sultan Ibrahim, Xi travelled to Putrajaya to meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, where the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and regional matters.
According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, both sides witnessed the exchange of a number of agreements spanning emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, media, film, and tourism.
The Malaysian Prime Minister will also host Xi for a state dinner at his official residence later in the evening.
Xi’s visit to Malaysia follows stops in Vietnam and precedes a trip to Cambodia, as Beijing seeks to position itself as a stable economic partner amid uncertainty created by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Asian economies.
Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy and current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was hit with a 24 percent tariff.
Vietnam and Cambodia faced even higher rates of 46 percent and 49 percent, respectively.
Though the tariffs have been paused for 90 days, President Trump has stated that no country is “off the hook.”
Speaking to AFP, Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia said Xi’s regional diplomacy is “a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather.”
In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Xi said he hoped the visit would usher in “another 50 golden years” of China-Malaysia relations.
The two nations marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year and continue to enjoy strong trade relations.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total bilateral trade accounting for 16.8 percent of Malaysia’s global trade in 2024, according to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.
Xi also penned an opinion piece published in Malaysia’s The Star newspaper on Tuesday, calling for stronger support for a United Nations-centred international system underpinned by international law.
“We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation,” he wrote.
Earlier this week in Vietnam, Xi met with Communist Party General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong, signing agreements on supply chains and a joint railway project.
Xi also pledged greater market access for Vietnamese agricultural exports to China.
According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi emphasised the need for both countries to “jointly oppose unilateral bullying acts” and protect the global free trade system.
Xi will travel to Cambodia on Thursday, concluding his three-nation tour aimed at reinforcing China’s economic and strategic partnerships in Southeast Asia at a time of rising global uncertainty.
