Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023, in Boao, Hainan province, China March 30, 2023. [Photo/Agencies]

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Collaboration:Reinvigorating BRI urged

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sees stronger trade and investment cooperation ahead with China, which he called "an important neighbor and trading partner", amid economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting geopolitical challenges.

During an exclusive interview with China Daily on Saturday, ahead of concluding his four-day visit to China, Anwar said it is important for Malaysia to interact more with China, and he hopes the visit will advance the two countries" economic cooperation potential.

Bilateral cooperation documents on economy, trade, agriculture and customs were signed during Anwar"s visit to China, the first since he took office in November.

The prime minister said that Malaysia secured a record 170 billion Malaysian ringgits ($38.5 billion) worth of investment commitments from China. "That shows the huge amount of confidence and trust on the part of the Chinese government and companies toward Malaysia."

Amid a busy schedule, Anwar had a meeting with business leaders from both countries on Saturday morning.

"In my discussions with the captains of industry, which again is unprecedented because we don"t normally see the huge numbers of companies coming for this kind of dialogue, they stated their interest in moving into the sectors of oil and gas, green technology, data centers and digital economy," Anwar said. This was a very reassuring sign regarding Malaysia"s tourism potential, he added.

China has been Malaysia"s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. Bilateral trade hit a historical high of $203.6 billion in 2022, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce. China is also the largest source of foreign investment for Malaysia, with the amount reaching $12.5 billion last year.

The East Coast Rail Link, a massive railway project invested in by a Chinese company in Malaysia under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, has progressed and is nearing completion, according to the prime minister.

"A huge amount of effort has been put in from both China and Malaysia. We learned from the experience, and I think the companies involved have agreed that they should also conduct additional training for their future projects."

Addressing the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 on Thursday, Anwar underlined the need to reinvigorate the Belt and Road Initiative and called for collaboration among countries.

"Translating lofty ideals into practical reality, solidarity and cooperation is best exemplified in the realization of the Belt and Road Initiative," Anwar said. "With the pandemic behind us, we should try to regain its momentum."

During the interview with China Daily, the prime minister also underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — of which Malaysia is a member — and China under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement.

"ASEAN"s position is to continue to have this vigorous, robust engagement and dialogue with China, because it benefits all ASEAN members in terms of trade and investment. So this collaboration with China should be further enhanced," he said.

"There are some issues like the South China Sea, but they shouldn"t be that contentious. The answer is dialogue. I do believe that is not that easy, but you should do that. At least we think of each other as friends, and we continue to have dialogue, so these problems are not insurmountable.

"I am very pleased, and extremely glad, that the Chinese leadership takes that position to engage in dialogue and proper understanding," he added.

The prime minister expressed his opposition to the submarine deal agreed upon by the AUKUS alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. China has said the deal might trigger a global arms race and undermine peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Well, I also say no to AUKUS. This is purely their own defense. We have a special concern: This may escalate the tension in the region. We want ASEAN to continue our policy of neutrality and a zone of peace," Anwar said.

The prime minister praised the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, all proposed by President Xi Jinping. Anwar said the initiatives matter to world development, security and various civilizations" coexistence in harmony.

"They are quite like our Madani concept," Anwar said, referring to a policy framework he launched that is built on the principles of sustainability, care and compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity and trust.

Anwar proposed the Madani framework in January as an effort to drive and restore Malaysia"s glory in the global arena. "Madani essentially means civilization. That is one of the core initiatives of China now. That"s why I told President Xi that I"m quite excited, because all these values and policies seem to have something in common," he said.

"We choose to agree with the vision and I think the world needs not just economic development or considerable security. While we need those, we also need values and respect. We need to resolve differences through dialogue, so the Global Civilization Initiative is also important," he added.

Anwar expressed his appreciation for China"s development path. "From late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to President Xi Jinping, you can see Chinese leadership refocusing all efforts in development and modernization. You can see the massive infrastructure, massive development and massive progress achieved."

During his speech in Boao, he said: "What we have seen in the past decades and continue to witness today is that there are other equally legitimate ways of viewing the world and different paths of interpreting and achieving socioeconomic progress."

Elaborating on this point, Anwar told China Daily that Western countries "may feel that China departs from conventional thinking about capitalism, but one thing they cannot deny is (China"s) progress and development" and its success in alleviating poverty.