He expressed hope that his trip will yield fruitful outcomes, ushering in a new “Golden 50 Years” for bilateral relations.
In a written statement upon his arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Xi said he expects the visit to open a new historic chapter of good-neighbourly friendship and mutual benefit between the two countries.
He was greeted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when he arrived in Kuala Lumpur.
During his stay in Malaysia, Xi is expected to discuss a free trade agreement between China and 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), as Malaysia is chair of the association this year.
He’ll meet with King Sultan Ibrahim on Wednesday morning and Anwar later in the day.
Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said the agreement will eliminate many tariffs between China and the bloc’s members.
“We will bring more tariffs down to zero in many cases, and then expand to all the areas,” he said in an interview with CGTN.
Xi is on a three-nation overseas trip. He earlier visited Vietnam during which Beijing and Hanoi signed dozens of cooperation agreements.
The president will later visit Cambodia on the final leg of his trip. (Xinhua/AP)
