Nanning, China - Malaysia's Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has announced that Malaysia and China will maintain continuous and transparent communication to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea. This announcement came following his meeting with China's Premier Li Qiang in Nanning, China.

Anwar's visit to the southern Chinese city included his participation in the 20th China-Asean Expo, where he introduced Malaysia's jackfruit to the Chinese market, and the China-Asean Business and Investment Summit. Additionally, he witnessed the signing of three memoranda of understanding worth close to RM20 billion (S$5.8 billion) and engaged in closed-door discussions with tech giant Huawei and China Communications Construction Company.

Premier Li expressed China's readiness to collaborate closely with Malaysia to uphold peace in the South China Sea, safeguard the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation framework, and advance negotiations for the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, promoting regional economic integration.

During their bilateral meeting at Li Yuan Resort, the leaders also discussed the situation in Myanmar and the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Anwar noted that Premier Li shared the concept of a "community for a shared future for mankind," emphasizing principles of openness, civility, inclusiveness, and mutual respect in bilateral, regional, and international cooperation—a vision aligning with Malaysia Madani's values.

In January, Anwar unveiled the Malaysia Madani slogan, signifying values such as sustainability, care, compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity, and trust. He extended invitations to Premier Li and Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Malaysia in 2024 to commemorate five decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The 50th anniversary celebrations are being jointly planned, with various activities scheduled in Malaysia and China.

Premier Li welcomed the opportunity to use the anniversary to deepen the friendship between China and Malaysia across generations. He expressed China's readiness to collaborate on flagship projects such as the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" initiative and the East Coast Rail Link while exploring further bilateral cooperation in various sectors.