Chinese Premier Li’s Malaysia visit sees nod for fresh durian exports, possible rail link to China
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang (left) with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on June 19.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang officiated the ground-breaking ceremony of the Gombak terminal of the ambitious East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) on June 19, the capstone of Mr Li’s visit that saw the signing of 14 agreements for bilateral collaboration in various fields.
Mr Li, the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Malaysia in nearly a decade, began his three-day official visit on June 18. His trip is in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
His presence at the groundbreaking ceremony, held on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, was symbolic of Beijing’s backing for the ambitious rail project that will bridge the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, which is about 70 per cent complete.
Ahead of Mr Li’s visit, Datuk Seri Anwar said Malaysia is ready to join Brics,
Brics, which originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, doubled in size at the start of 2024 with the entry of Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.
“We believe that it is in Malaysia’s strategic interests to forge amity and cooperation with China, not against it,” said Mr Anwar on June 19, speaking at a dinner celebrating the two nations’ 50 years of ties attended by Premier Li.
“We make every effort to diplomatically engage China and integrate it into regional affairs, not because it is always straightforward, but because it is crucial for our shared future,” he added.
China has been Malaysia’s top trading partner for the past 15 years, with 2023’s total trade valued at RM450.84 billion.
The RM50.27 billion (S$14.4 billion) ECRL
On June 10, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry is exploring the possibility of extending the railway to join Thailand’s rail network, “paving the way for the ECRL to be part of the Pan-Asian rail network that can link Malaysia with China, realising the vision of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”.
On June 19, Mr Li said China is willing to study a plan to connect the rail link to other China-backed railway projects in Laos and Thailand.
He said the proposal would make the central line of a proposed Pan-Asia Railway, running from Kunming in China to Singapore, a reality.
“This will better promote the construction of new international land and sea trade corridors, enhance regional connectivity, and deepen the building of the Asean community,” Mr Li said.
The ECRL is one of several BRI projects announced during the tenure of disgraced prime minister Najib Razak from 2009 to 2018.
Najib’s father Tun Razak Hussein, as prime minister, formalised diplomatic relations between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing on May 31, 1974.
The 14 memoranda of understanding signed on June 19 span the sharing of expertise in economy, tourism, trade and housing. The two countries also pledged to review visa-free travel arrangements.
A deal was also inked to allow Malaysia to export fresh durians to China starting in 2024, where it had been previously limited to durian products and frozen whole durians.
This will give Malaysia, one of the world’s biggest producers of the pungent fruit, a slice of the multibillion-dollar market for fresh durians in China already tapped by its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam.
Mr Li met Mr Anwar in the administrative capital Putrajaya on June 19, and also had an audience with Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, at the Istana Negara. He is slated to attend a luncheon with the business community from both countries on June 20 before concluding his official visit.
