With the gradual entry into force and implementation of RCEP, China Malaysia Economic and trade cooperation is expected to further deepen and develop.
“The scheduled Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games will inject more impetus into China’s and global development and bring more confidence to the people of the world.” Ouyang Yujing, Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, said in an exclusive interview with 21st Century Business Herald reporters recently. He pointed out that the arrival of the Winter Olympics not only highlights the confidence of the international community in China’s epidemic prevention and control, but also conveys the expectations of the people of the world for global cooperation and overcoming the epidemic.
Ouyang Yujing said in the interview that the Beijing Winter Olympics has a deep relationship with Malaysia. In 2015, Beijing successfully won the right to host the Winter Olympic Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For a long time, sports has been an important part of all-round cooperation and exchanges between China and Malaysia. China and Malaysia are good neighbors across the sea, good friends with mutual trust and good partners for win-win cooperation.
In the past year, despite the tests and challenges of the epidemic, China Malaysia Economic and trade relations have continued to deepen, and the trade achievements have been bright spots. Ouyang Yujing pointed out that China has ranked as the largest trading partner of Malaysia for the 13th consecutive year, and Malaysia’s exports to China also reached an all-time high in 2021.
Meanwhile, the regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement (RCEP) will officially enter into force for Malaysia on March 18. With the gradual entry into force and implementation of RCEP, China Malaysia Economic and trade cooperation is expected to further deepen and develop. In this regard, Ouyang Yujing pointed out that the signing of RCEP marks a major breakthrough in regional economic integration and will bring significant benefits to the development of Southeast Asia and even the world economy. In his view, China Malaysia relations are at a new historical starting point of building on the past and forging ahead into the future. Bilateral cooperation is at the right time and will have great prospects.
Malaysia attaches great importance to the Beijing Winter Olympics
21st century: the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games arrived as promised. What do you think is the significance of holding the Winter Olympics as scheduled under the epidemic?
Ouyang Yujing: Xi Jinping president pointed out that hosting the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the winter Paralympic Games is hard won and of great significance, which is highly consistent with the goal of realizing the “two centenaries”. The Beijing Winter Olympics is a major landmark activity at an important historical node in China. It is an important opportunity to show the national image, promote national development and inspire the national spirit.
At present, the epidemic is still raging all over the world. People are generally eager to recover from the epidemic and return to normal life. Athletes from all over the world gathered in Beijing to participate in the Winter Olympics, which highlights the confidence of the international community in China’s epidemic prevention and control, as well as the expectations of the people of the world for global cooperation and overcoming the epidemic.
In recent years, China has made great contributions to the world, which is obvious to all the world and highly recognized by all countries. The Winter Olympics held in China this time is a window for the concentrated display of China’s development achievements, an important stage for demonstrating national self-confidence, and also helps people of all countries to understand China more deeply and truly.
We have reason to believe that the scheduled Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics will inject more impetus into China’s and global development and bring more confidence to the people of the world.
21st century: seven years ago, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Bach, announced at the 128th plenary meeting held in Kuala Lumpur that the host city of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is Beijing. Kuala Lumpur and Beijing are destined for the Olympics. So, what is the attitude of Malaysia and China towards the Beijing Winter Olympics? How do you introduce the Winter Olympics and Beijing, the “city of double Olympics” to the Malaysian people?
Ouyang Yujing: as you said, the Beijing Winter Olympics has a very close relationship with Malaysia. In 2015, Malaysia supported Beijing’s bid to host the Winter Olympics. For some time, I have often mentioned the Beijing Winter Olympics in my extensive contacts with the Malaysian government, Parliament, media and all sectors of society.
For a city and even a country, it is of great significance to host such a major international event as the Olympic Games. Beijing has become the only “double Olympic city” in the world, hosting both the summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games. It is unique in the history of the Olympic Games, which highlights the unique charm of Beijing.
Malaysia is located in the tropics and has few natural ice and snow resources, but Malaysia has also overcome many difficulties and actively organized athletes to prepare for the Beijing Winter Olympics. This is the second time Malaysia has participated in the Winter Olympics. A few days ago, Mr. nurza, President of the Malaysian Olympic Committee, and I attended the flag presentation ceremony of the Malaysian delegation to the Beijing Winter Olympics. The ceremony was very grand. Many reporters came to interview. The event itself shows Malaysia’s attitude towards the Winter Olympics.
In a public interview with the media, Mr. nurza spoke highly of the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and believed that Beijing would present a wonderful winter Olympics to the world. Ms. Chen Xiusi, head of the Malaysian delegation to the Winter Olympics, also said that today we face many challenges. Therefore, China has put forward the concept of “community with a shared future for mankind” to meet global challenges and share the future. All these fully show that Malaysia has attached great importance to and fully affirmed the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. I also wish Malaysian athletes good results in Beijing.
China Malaysia bilateral relations have yielded fruitful results
21st century: what exchanges and cooperation do you think China and Malaysia can have in the field of sports in the future?
Ouyang Yujing: the field of sports is an important part of all-round cooperation and exchanges between China and Malaysia. In December last year, Chinese State Councilor and foreign minister Wang Yi co chaired the first meeting of the high level Committee on China Malaysia cooperation with visiting Malaysian Foreign Minister saifuding in Anji, Zhejiang Province. The two sides agreed to build a more solid China Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership in the post epidemic period and reached broad consensus on key cooperation in the next stage, One of them is to enrich people to people and cultural exchanges, including sports, and promote the connection between the people.
During foreign minister saifuding’s visit to China, the Basketball Association of China and Malaysia signed the letter of intent on basketball cooperation between China and Malaysia. In addition to basketball, the cooperation and exchanges between China and Malaysia in football, badminton and other sports fields are also very rich. Badminton players Lin Dan, Li Zongwei and other sports stars are well-known in the two countries.
In 2022, China will also host the Asian Games in Hangzhou, and we will continue to cooperate with Malaysia. I believe that sports exchanges between the two countries can achieve good results even under the epidemic situation.
21st century: as the 16th Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, how do you evaluate the current China Malaysia relations? How to promote the one hand, one belt, one road, and other fields of practical cooperation?
Ouyang Yujing: China and Malaysia are good neighbors across the sea, good friends with mutual trust and good partners for win-win cooperation. In the more than one year since taking office as ambassador to Malaysia, I have truly felt the fruitful results and broad prospects of China Malaysia bilateral relations. I want to summarize it in three sentences:
The first sentence is not afraid of floating clouds to cover your eyes. Last year, Xi Jinping president and Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail and other leaders of ASEAN countries jointly celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China ASEAN dialogue relations. State Councilor and foreign minister Wang Yi and Malaysian Foreign Minister SAIFUDIN jointly chaired the first meeting of the high level Committee on China Malaysia cooperation.
The leaders of the two countries have jointly discussed major plans for cooperation, drawn a blueprint for development, and pointed out the way forward for China Malaysia bilateral relations.
In the second sentence, the green mountains are together with clouds and rain. At the beginning of last year, I delivered the first batch of samples of koshing vaccine delivered to Malaysia to Prime Minister Ismail (then Minister of Defense). Since then, I have witnessed the continuous arrival of more than 40 million doses of Chinese vaccines in Malaysia, helping the Malaysian government and people achieve positive results in fighting the epidemic. Friends from all walks of life in Malaysia told me gratefully that those in need of the epidemic see the true feelings of China and Malaysia.
In the third sentence, there are thousands of trees in front of the sick tree. The epidemic is like a touchstone, which not only proves the quality of China Malaysia friendship, but also highlights the resilience of bilateral cooperation. “One belt, one road” cooperation between China and Malaysia has been steadily advancing, and the flagship projects such as “two countries’ parks” and “East Coast Railway” have been progressed steadily. Last year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached US $176.8 billion, an increase of 34.5% year-on-year under the epidemic. This fully shows that the post epidemic cooperation between the two countries is bright.
One belt, one road, is to continue to deepen political mutual trust, work hand in hand to overcome the epidemic situation, accelerate the recovery of the economy, promote the construction of “one belt and one way” quality development, promote bilateral trade and investment cooperation, upgrade quality and upgrade, and tap the potential for growth in the emerging fields of digital economy, green development and high technology, and gradually restore and strengthen education, tourism, film, Exchanges and cooperation in sports and other people to people and cultural fields. I also believe that China Malaysia friendly cooperation will inject stronger impetus into the development of the two countries and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples.
RCEP helps bilateral economic and trade cooperation
21st century: what achievements have been made in China Malaysia Economic and trade relations in the past year?
Ouyang Yujing: in 2021, China and Malaysia withstood the test of the epidemic and showed a high degree of complementarity in the field of economy and trade. The 12th Malaysia plan carefully created by the Malaysian government, vigorously develop foreign trade and actively encourage practical actions such as digital economy and green economy have laid a solid foundation for China Malaysia Economic and trade cooperation. In the past year, the main achievements were reflected in three aspects:
First, the policy docking is closer. One belt, one road and five countries will be promoted to promote cooperation in the “one belt and one way” construction. The two countries will actively promote the signing of a memorandum of understanding on investment and cooperation in the digital economy and green development.
Second, there are many highlights of trade achievements. In 2021, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached US $176.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 34.5%. Malaysia is China’s second largest trading partner in ASEAN and the world’s tenth largest trading partner. China has ranked the largest trading partner of Malaysia for the 13th consecutive year. Malaysia’s exports to China also set a record in 2021.
Third, investment cooperation has grown steadily. From January to November 2021, China’s direct investment in the whole industry of Malaysia reached US $1.53 billion. Among them, non-financial direct investment was US $1.49 billion, a year-on-year increase of 64.5%, ranking third in ASEAN.
Fourth, the number of newly signed projects increased rapidly. From January to November 2021, the newly signed contract value of China’s project contracting in Malaysia was US $6.54 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 48.7%, ranking seventh in the global market. The turnover reached US $5.92 billion, a year-on-year increase of 34.7%, ranking third in the world.
From the data, it fully reflects the high political mutual trust and economic resilience between China and Malaysia. Therefore, we have full confidence in the future economic and trade cooperation, investment and contracting between China and Malaysia.
21st century: it is understood that RCEP will enter into force for Malaysia on March 18. How do you look forward to the development of China Malaysia Economic and trade relations in the year of the tiger? What new areas will China and Malaysia explore cooperation in?
Ouyang Yujing: we are very pleased to see that Malaysia officially submitted the RCEP approval letter to the ASEAN Secretariat on January 17. According to the procedure, RCEP will officially enter into force for Malaysia on March 18. We have learned that all sectors of Malaysian society are full of expectations for this major progress. The entry into force and implementation of RCEP fully reflects the confidence and determination of China and Malaysia to jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade and promote regional economic integration. RCEP will make important contributions to regional and even global trade and investment growth, economic recovery and prosperity and development:
First, strengthen the complementarity of China Malaysia trade industrial chain. The high-level free trade environment created by RCEP will bring more integration and complementary effects to the China Malaysia trade industrial chain. Taking the automobile industry as an example, in recent ten years, Asia has become the world’s largest market, especially the Southeast Asian automobile market has maintained a high growth rate. The reduction of auto parts tariffs brought by RCEP will greatly integrate the industrial chain and supply chain of the automobile industry in East Asia, especially in China and Malaysia, and effectively help automobile manufacturers reduce production costs.
Second, lead the development of two-way digital economy. RCEP’s trade facilitation clauses and e-commerce clauses will promote the consistency of regional e-commerce policies, reduce the operational risks of cross-border e-commerce, significantly improve the efficiency of customs clearance and logistics, release the potential of regional consumer market, and promote the optimization of supply chain and resources. Both China and Malaysia can get more opportunities. The economic ecology in the post epidemic era is inseparable from the digital economy, which will undoubtedly become one of the key areas of cooperation between Malaysia and even ASEAN and China.
Third, promote the optimization of the overall business environment. RCEP will establish a set of measures to improve the business environment. For example, in the field of intellectual property, it covers all-round protection of copyright, trademark, geographical indication, patent, design and genetic resources, reflecting the new trend of intellectual property protection. Government procurement, competition, trade remedy and other rules will also create a better development environment for trade liberalization and facilitation in the region.
China Malaysia relations are at a new historical starting point of building on past achievements and forging ahead into the future. Bilateral cooperation is at the right time and has great prospects. The signing of RCEP marks a major breakthrough in regional economic integration and brings significant benefits to the economic development of Southeast Asia and even the world. China Malaysia cooperation is bound to benefit from it and show more surging vitality.
