Malaysia’s Anwar to visit China next month with an eye on building trade ties

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is planning a visit to China next month – his first in over a year – as the Southeast Asian country looks to deepen trade ties with Beijing.

According to people familiar with the planning, Anwar is slated to make a three-day visit to China in late September at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, with stops in Shanghai and Hangzhou. The trip does not include a stop in Beijing.

His itinerary is still being finalised, sources told the South China Morning Post, but the Malaysian leader is expected to attend the Global Digital Trade Expo and hold talks with Li during the trip.

The expo, one of China’s most important digital economy platforms, is scheduled to run from September 23 to 27 in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the matter.

The visit builds on Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen relations with China, its largest trading partner.