Jia's visit will cement China-Malaysia ties

Malaysia and China's relationship would be taken to a new height when Chinese top political advisor Jia Qinglin visits Malaysia on February 4 to sign a series of cooperative agreements and open a joint industrial park in the east coast Pahang state, Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Chai Xi has said.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is scheduled to launch the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, a 7-kilometer square development area as a 'sister park' to the China-Malaysia Qingzhou Industrial Park in Shandong province.

He is also expected to sign a number of documents related to, among others, the setup of Xiamen University's first foreign branch in Malaysia and an expansion of a seaport near the Kuantan industrial park.

China hopes Jia's visit would deepen bilateral education cooperation so as to make China-Malaysia traditional friendship last forever... "further reinforce our coordination and communication on regional and global issues for the sake of regional peace, stability and common development", Chai said.

The forthcoming visit underscores the "good momentum in strategic cooperation" China and the Southeast Asian nation had been keeping in recent years, Chai said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo visited Malaysia one after another last year while Malaysian Premier Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Senate Speaker also paid visits to China.

Jia will head a 60-member delegation to visit Malaysia on Feb. 4-7. During his stay, Jia will pay a courtesy call to Malaysian King Abdul Halim and Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Several firms in the steel, aluminum and palm oil producing industry sectors have pledged to invest in the Kuantan industrial park, which entices investors with a 10-year tax break, cheaper land and convenient infrastructure, Chai said.

China-Malaysia trade grew 5.3 percent on an annual basis last year to reach 94.8 billion U.S. dollars.