Dr M visiting China for five days to boost bilateral ties

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he had actually chosen China as the first country he wanted to visit after taking over as prime minister.

“However, certain problems cropped up, which prevented us from going there earlier.

“The reason we are visiting China this time around is to strengthen the relationship between the two countries,” he said after the launch of the Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur private hospital here.

Dr Mahathir will begin a fiveday official visit to China today.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok, International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, and Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

Bernama reported that the Foreign Ministry said Dr Mahathir’s visit to China would serve as a new milestone in the consolidation of bilateral ties between the two countries.

Wisma Putra, in a statement, said the visit would set new strategic pillars to invigorate future cooperation between the two countries, especially in the political, trade, investment, agriculture, technology and regional security areas.

“Malaysia and China continue to maintain their close and comprehensive bilateral relations,” it said.

Wisma Putra said the visit, which will be till Aug 21, was at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

It said this was the maiden visit by Dr Mahathir to China after assuming office as the seventh prime minister in May, adding that he, however, had visited China seven times when he was the fourth prime minister between 1981 and 2003.

Wisma Putra said Dr Mahathir would visit Hangzhou, where he was scheduled to meet provincial leaders and visit the Alibaba Group corporate headquarters and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

In Beijing, he will meet Li and President Xi Jinping to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Wisma Putra said Dr Mahathir and Li would witness the signing of three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to mark the strengthening of Kuala Lumpur and Beijing’s partnership.

“The MoUs are in agriculture and agro-commodity.”

Wisma Putra said in Beijing, Dr Mahathir would hold a dialogue with entrepreneurs as well as potential investors from China, and host a dinner for the Malaysian diaspora.

China has been Malaysia’s top trading partner for the past nine consecutive years.

Last year, the total bilateral trade between the two countries stood at RM290.65 billion (US$67.72 billion), said Wisma Putra.