SEPANG, Nov 1 — Newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Yao Wen has pledged to further strengthen bilateral relations, with greater emphasis on economic cooperation, emerging technologies and people-to-people exchanges.
In his written address upon arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday, Yao said his key priorities included translating the consensus reached by leaders of both countries into concrete actions and advancing cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.
“It is a great pleasure to be back in Malaysia, a beautiful country known as ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’, as I step into my new role. After years working in the region and visiting Malaysia numerous times, I have always held a special place for this country in my heart.
“My ultimate goal is to advance all-dimensional cooperation and friendly exchanges, fostering an even closer bond between our two peoples. To this end, I look forward to working hand in hand with our Malaysian friends to pursue four key priorities,” he said.
Yao, 53, arrived from Beijing on Saturday night via an Air China flight, succeeding Ouyang Yujing as China’s ambassador to Malaysia. He was received by representatives from the Foreign Ministry’s Protocol and Consular Department.
As the first priority, Yao said both countries should strengthen political mutual trust and consolidate their longstanding friendship.
He said China was advancing its national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation, while Malaysia was making strategic progress under the Malaysia Madani vision.
He said the two countries were well positioned to support each other’s modernisation efforts, deepen strategic mutual trust and ensure the steady, long-term development of their high-level strategic community with a shared future.
On economic cooperation, Yao said both countries should advance the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening cooperation in traditional sectors such as infrastructure and trade while exploring new opportunities in AI and semiconductors.
On the third priority, he called for deeper people-to-people exchanges, describing close ties between the peoples of both countries as the foundation of sound bilateral relations.
“Both countries should leverage their mutual visa-free policy and the opportunity presented by Visit Malaysia Year 2026 to strengthen cooperation in education, culture, healthcare, tourism and exchanges at the sub-national level,” he added.
He also expressed hope for the successful hosting of the Confucian-Islamic Civilisational Dialogues to further promote mutual understanding and bring the peoples of both countries closer.
On the fourth priority, Yao called for stronger multilateral coordination between Malaysia and China to promote international fairness and justice.
“Together, China and Malaysia must uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, champion international fairness and justice, and amplify the voice of the Global South to forge a more equitable global governance system.
“By staying committed to openness and development, and pioneering rules for emerging domains, we can inject much-needed certainty into a world fraught with turbulence and volatility,” he said.
Yao said he was committed to building on the legacy of his predecessors and working closely with Malaysians from all walks of life to deepen comprehensive cooperation and strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
He said both sides should continue fostering dialogue, sharing insights and pooling their wisdom to strengthen bilateral ties and bring enduring prosperity to their peoples for generations to come. — Bernama
