KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has hoped that the establishment of a high-level committee, between Malaysia and China, to promote cooperation in the post-Covid-19 era, would help bring in more China investors to invest in Malaysia, strengthen bilateral cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, and further boost bilateral relations and cooperation between the two “strategic partners” in various aspects.
Its President, Tan Sri T.C Goh expressed this while commenting on the fruitful meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and his Chinese counterpart — state councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi — in Fujian, China yesterday, which saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a high-level committee to promote cooperation in the post-Covid-19 era, a historic development in Malaysia-China relations and the first of its kind for Malaysia.
The Committee co-chaired by Hishammuddin and Wang Yi will act as an overarching bilateral mechanism, overseeing the implementation of all understandings and providing policy guidance for all aspects of Malaysia-China relations moving forward. This will include, among others, pandemic preparedness and response, trade and investment, commodity, food security, science, technology and innovation, travel facilitation and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.
Go who is also director of Malaysia-China Business Council (MCBC) cum Chairman of its Bilateral Policy Committee, was also glad to note that both foreign ministers also discussed on other important matters, including food security where collective effort is needed to ensure a sustainable global supply chain, ensuring equal physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
On cross-border travel, both sides have agreed to finalise the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and early conclusion to negotiations on a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) between Malaysia and China.
Goh was also touched by the cordial interaction between the two foreign ministers during the said meeting, with both of them addressing each other as ‘brothers’, befitting the long-established strong bond between the two nations.
“We also hope that Malaysia could be the second nation in this region, after Indonesia, to take part in the bottling of China’s Covid-19 vaccine. This would certainly help to expedite the attainment of our national vaccination program,” he added.
He also acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic has unwittingly demonstrated the strong ‘brotherhood’ between Malaysia and China, especially when the latter took the initiative to come to Malaysia’s aid amidst the pandemic, on many occasions.-pr/BNN
