KUALA LUMPUR, April 11– The state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia, scheduled to take place from April 15th to 17th, is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and open a new chapter in strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Unity Government spokesman and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the official visit was a great honour for Malaysia and is believed to stimulate not only the trade sector, but also strengthen people-to-people ties between the two nations.

“This is a great honour for Malaysia, and I believe we have many opportunities to discuss, strengthen and build – both in terms of past achievements and future potential,” he said when met by reporters after opening the ASEAN-China Media and Think Tank Forum in the capital, today.

Fahmi added that Xi's visit is also part of the government's ongoing efforts to strengthen and diversify Malaysia's trade and diplomatic relations with various major countries in the world.

Since 2009, China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner globally for 15 consecutive years.

Statistics from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) show that bilateral trade in 2023 will reach RM450.84 billion, accounting for 17.1 percent of the country's total global trade.

Meanwhile, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), China is also ranked fifth as the largest foreign investor in Malaysia, with total investments reaching RM14.5 billion.

President Xi's official visit is also expected to involve strategic discussions involving investment, technology, tourism, education and people-to-people ties between the two countries.