THE Ministry of International Trade and Industry hopes that Malaysia-China trade relations will be further strengthened through continuous engagement between the two countries, Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said today.

The minister tweeted after meeting China’s ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing, earlier today.

During the meeting, they discussed trade and investment relations between Malaysia and China, as well as the steps forward to further strengthen bilateral relations, the minister added.

China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009.

In an interview with CNBC yesterday, he had said that China’s move to reopen its borders next week bodes well for Malaysia’s tourism and economy, given China’s status as the nation’s largest trading partner.

According to data from Tourism Malaysia, prior to the pandemic, China accounted for the third largest number of tourist arrivals, with about 3.1 million tourists from mainland China visiting Malaysia in 2019, out of the overall 26.1 million. – Bernama, January 6, 2023.