Interview: "Shared chemistry" helps build Malaysia-China relationship, says Malaysia's party leader

People attend the 2024 HSK Study In China Education & Career Expo held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations, Malaysia and China could bolster cooperation across different sectors and build a more robust relationship, said Malaysia's party leader.

by Xinhua writers Ma Zheng, Guo Peiran, Huang Ningjing

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- "It was extraordinary to have such a shared chemistry, a kindred spirit, because that's important as we build and forge our relationship that will be able to withstand the test of time," said Nurul Izzah Anwar, vice president of Malaysia's People's Justice Party.

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations, Malaysia and China could bolster cooperation across different sectors and build a more robust relationship, she said in an interview with Xinhua during her recent visit to Beijing.

"It's more than just trade ties. It's more than economic linkages. It's an appreciation that we speak to common ideals, common aspirations and a shared future for the betterment of not just economy and GDP per capita alone, but the betterment of people-to-people connection," she said.

On her China tour, Nurul said that China's poverty alleviation experience is very inspiring. She focused on villages in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to "learn from the economic empowerment that benefits households, the ordinary people, as well as poverty eradication programs that have taken place there."

While in Shenzhen, known as China's capital of innovation, Nurul was impressed by technological advancement. "We want to give that strength of innovation and frontier to all our members," Nurul said.

This aerial photo taken on April 17, 2023 shows a part of the Guangming Science City in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

China has recently decided to extend the visa-free policy to Dec. 31, 2025, for citizens of countries including Malaysia.

This is exciting and matters a lot because people are provided with ease of travel, Nurul said with a big smile, describing herself as a beneficiary of the policy.

Looking ahead, Nurul voiced hope that Malaysia and China, with their complementary advantages, could deepen linkages in tourism, trade, and investments and make the relationship more meaningful.

(Xinhua reporter Mao Pengfei in Kuala Lumpur also contributed to the story.)