Xi sees bright future with longtime friend

Cooperation on track

On a hillside overlooking the East Coast Rail Link project in the Malaysian state of Pahang, a string of bold Chinese and Malay characters stand out against the landscape: "Extensive consultation, joint contribution, shared benefits — building a better future."

The phrase, concise and resonant, is the main tenet of the BRI, which has now become a leading global infrastructure and development framework and has fostered a host of flourishing partnerships across continents.

As a vital node along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Malaysia was among the first nations to participate in the BRI. Thanks to joint efforts and Xi's steadfast push, bilateral collaboration within the initiative's framework has borne rich fruit.

A notable example is the ECRL, a 665-kilometer railway whose construction is in full swing. In a sign of the importance Xi attaches to the flagship project, he dispatched a special envoy to its launch in 2017.During his meeting with Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, in Beijing last September, Xi once again called for concerted efforts to ensure its success.

Once completed, the railway will bridge Malaysia's less-developed east coast with its economic powerhouse on the west coast, enhancing connectivity and fostering balanced growth. It will also potentially link up with the China-Laos and China-Thailand rail networks, which are all part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a vital international trade route.

"If that were to materialize, the ECRL would be able to tap into Thailand's entire rail network and link with Kunming in southwestern China via Laos, achieving a greater free flow of goods and passengers within the region," said Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

Beyond the rail project, China-Malaysia collaboration is expanding across the horizon. China has remained Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with the volume hitting an all-time high of $212.04 billion in 2024. In recent years, tropical fruits from Malaysia, including durian, mangosteen and jackfruit, have become increasingly popular among Chinese consumers.

In his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year in Beijing, Xi encouraged Malaysia to bring more of its quality and specialty products to the Chinese market, and urged closer cooperation in such new areas as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and new energy.

"The flourishing economic ties between Malaysia and China demonstrate the resilience and mutual benefits of our bilateral relationship," said Samirul Ariff Othman, an economist at Malaysia's Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. "The continued expansion of investments in high-value sectors such as technology, green energy and manufacturing will further deepen our cooperation."