Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said Malaysia is committed to achieving new highs and enter into new areas of cooperation with China during his visit to the republic this week.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said during the visit, many new agreements and understandings will be signed that will elevate the relationship between the two nations to even greater heights.

“This will allow our countries and our peoples to thrive and prosper together.

“To that end, I look forward to my discussions with Their Excellencies President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang," Najib said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Najib said the Asian Century had begun, and few countries represent the potential of the region better than China and Malaysia.

“Together, working in partnership, I am confident that - if we grasp the huge opportunities before us - we will transform the lives of our peoples and reshape the region and the world for the better,” he said.

He also recounted the history of Malaysia-China ties which officially began in 1974 when his father, Malaysia’s second prime minister the late Abdul Razak Hussein, became the first leader in the region to establish formal diplomatic relations with China.

Najib said China is the country with whom Malaysia has enjoyed a strong bond in the past, and with whom Malaysia is committed to further strengthening ties and friendship in the future.

“Today, we have a relationship based on mutual trust and respect - one that comprises ever growing social, cultural, political, economic and military ties,” he said.

- Bernama