BEIJING, May 31 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today paid a courtesy call on China’s State Councillor and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong as part of his official visit to the country.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, arrived at the Rui An Hotel, Ministry of Public Security, here, at about 4.30pm and held a discussion with Xiaohong for almost an hour.
During the welcome speech session, Ahmad Zahid expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he received from the Chinese Government following his 11-day official visit to the republic which ends tomorrow.
“I am delighted to be here, meeting with so many familiar faces and old friends. Thank you for making me feel welcomed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Xiaohong stated that Ahmad Zahid’s official visit to China was a significant event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of China-Malaysia diplomatic ties this year, adding that the republic would firmly support Malaysia in choosing its own development path and national strategies.
“China will also support the concept of Malaysia Madani by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to further enhance our high-level exchanges so that we can build a better common future with mutual understanding and assistance,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin and Malaysian Ambassador to China Datuk Norman Muhamad during the courtesy call.
Ahmad Zahid is currently on his first official visit to China since assuming the position of deputy prime minister in December 2022, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Ding Xuexiang.
Malaysia and China officially established bilateral relations on May 31, 1974 and the visit marks an exchange of reciprocal visits from high-level leaders of both countries in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
According to a previous statement by Wisma Putra, the official visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and explore cooperation opportunities, particularly in education, focusing on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the development of the halal industry, and people-to-people exchanges. — Bernama
