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Interview: New maritime silk road brings fresh opportunity to China-Malaysia cooperation: Chinese ambassador

Xinhua, April 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

The "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative put forward by China will bring new opportunity for the cooperation between Malaysia and China, as Malaysia enjoys a strategic location in global maritime trade, said Huang Huikuang, China's ambassador to Malaysia.

Citing that China's great navigator Zheng He in the Ming Dynasty, who stationed in Malacca five times during his great expeditions, Huang said Malaysia had been a major trade hub for several centuries, and now remains an important country along the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road."

Malaysia is also a founding member of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), and important developing country as well as a moderate Islamic state.

Huang praised Malaysia for its stability, robust growth and social order.

"With a unique advantage in strategic location, Malaysia should actively implement infrastructure projects like ports, airports, railway, road, which could lay a solid foundation for regional connectivity," he said.

Malaysia was the first ASEAN members to establish diplomatic ties with China, and the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations and a booming trade in recent years. China is Malaysia's largest trading partner while Malaysia is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN.

Huang said there are huge potential to be tapped. With the establishment of the Renminbi clearing system in Malaysia, more trade between China and Malaysia as well as among the region could be settled in Renminbi, which reduce the risk of currency fluctuation.

Regarding the Belt and Road initiatives, which refer to the " Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", Huang said Malaysia enjoys close relations with the countries along the "Belt and Road", which would be helpful for further cooperation.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said recently that his country supports China's efforts to promote an inclusive regional growth agenda through a series of initiatives, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

"Both of which are expected to increase investment flows into the ASEAN region," he said. Endi