New Opportunities and New Developments lead to New Heights of Bilateral Relationship
Ouyang Yujing, Ambassador of China to Malaysia
2020-12-31 21:47

I am no stranger to Malaysia. My tie with Malaysia dates back to my several working visits to this country in the past several years. Malaysia's vibrant, beautiful beaches, blue skies, its diverse, warm and friendly people have all left great impressions on me. At that time, I did not expect to have another chapter with Malaysia which is waiting for me in several years' time.

I still remember that, the giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang symbolising the China-Malaysia friendship made their way from Sichuan, China to Malaysia on year 2014 and began their new lives abroad. I heard that in just six years' time, two adorable baby pandas – Nuan Nuan and Yi Yi – were born at this blessed land. Throughout the last 6 years, China-Malaysia comprehensive strategy partnership has been full of vigor just like the baby pandas. The pragmatic cooperation between China and Malaysia, which spans across various fields, has borne fruitful results.

Several years ago, I might just be a passer-by to Malaysia. But now, as the 16th Ambassador of China to Malaysia, I am ready to pick up the baton to pass on and forge ahead with the China-Malaysia friendship. We are now standing on the historical high point of China-Malaysia relations. Hence for me, it is both a great honor and a great responsibility to carry on the flames of our bilateral relations. As the once-in-a-century changes are intertwined with the once-in-a-century pandemic, the rising uncertainty of global development has brought challenges to the development and stability of both China and Malaysia. Nevertheless, we have a long road ahead of us with both hopes and challenges along the way. We must march forward with courage.

With the year of 2021 just around the corner, on behalf of the Embassy of China in Malaysia, I would like to wish happy new year to the Malaysian people and to friends from all walks of life who care and support the development of China-Malaysia relations. A new year marks a new beginning. I believe that the new year will inject new momentum into China-Malaysia mutually beneficial cooperation and open a new chapter for China-Malaysia friendly relations.

In the new year, China and Malaysia will embrace new opportunities. 2021 marks the beginning of China's "14th Five Year Plan" through which China will realise its first centenary goal (to build a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021), and with this strong impetus China will begin its new journey toward the second centenary goal (to turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.)

China will accelerate the process of creating a dual circulation development pattern which centres around internal circulation with the domestic and international markets promoting each other. This will stimulate the huge domestic market potential of China while at the same time make China's opening-up measures larger in extent, wider in scope and deeper in degree. Meanwhile, Malaysia is currently in the process of formulating the 12th Malaysia Plan which will chart the course to economy recovery and revitalising the country. With highly complementary development demands, China and Malaysia are natural cooperative partners. As a friendly neighbour to China and a key partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, Malaysia is set to benefit from China's development with more investments and more opportunities, reaping the fruitful results of China's development.

In the new year, China-Malaysia cooperation will achieve new developments. Currently, the two countries have our eyes set on cooperation initiatives targeting pandemic control and economy recovery. Soon China and Malaysia would accelerate the process of implementing Belt and Road Initiative, pinpointing crucial projects such as "Two Countries, Twin Parks" and East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) to constantly release development momentum. The "new normal" brought by the pandemic also stimulated new drives of China-Malaysia bilateral cooperation. Emerging industries such as e-commerce, digital economy and artificial intelligence will be the new growth areas for bilateral cooperation.

In the new year, China-Malaysia friendship will reach new heights. Looking back, China-Malaysia friendship has always been developing in the fast track. Malaysia is the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relation with China. With time, China-Malaysia friendship is taking a deeper root in the hearts of our peoples who always have a profound affinity towards each other. No matter how the world changes, the China-Malaysia friendship will remain unchanged and it will only become tighter, grow stronger. It is also this friendship that make us share weal and woe in the face of natural disasters and development challenges. Currently, both Chinese and Malaysian people are fighting on the frontline of pandemic prevention and economy recovery. As we fight the same fight and share the same cause, it will bring our hearts closer and elevate the China-Malaysia friendship to a new height like never before.

Every end is a new beginning. In the coming new year, we expect more, and we must work more, so that we will harvest more. We will continue to join hands with the Malaysian side and push forward our mutually beneficial cooperation, achieving common development. For this goal, I am full of confidence and expectation. A frequent saying on the tip of Chinese people's tongue is "great accomplishments require ambition and tireless effort", and I have recently come to know a similar Malaysian saying, "Rajin dan usaha tangga kejayaan" (hard work is the ladder to success). For both Chinese and Malaysian people, happiness and success come from nowhere but exertion and hard work, which is also a universal truth. Home is where the heart is. From today, I will come to know and love Malaysia as my home with an open arm and heart, and I will work hard with Malaysian friends from all walks of life to carry on with the glory of the past and to forge ahead with China-Malaysia friendly cooperation. Together, we will create a better tomorrow for China-Malaysia relations.

 

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