By H.E. Jia Qinglin
Chairman of the National Committee of
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

Kuala Lumpur, 6 February 2013

Honourable Ong Ka Ting, Malaysian Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China and Chairman of the Malaysia-China Business Council,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to meet old and new friends from different sectors in Kuala Lumpur. Here, the air of festivity before the Chinese New Year makes me feel very much at home. Let me begin by expressing heartfelt thanks to you for your warm hospitality to my delegation and myself.

I have come to Malaysia to enhance the friendship between the two countries, deepen our mutually beneficial cooperation and demonstrate the new Chinese leadership's commitment to developing our amicable relations. Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Razak and I attended the ceremony to launch the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, another landmark project for our practical cooperation. We also had a productive meeting and reached important agreement on furthering bilateral strategic cooperation. This visit is fruitful and successful.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last decade has witnessed fast growth of China-Malaysia relations. The two countries made smooth progress in strategic cooperation, understood and supported each other on major issues of respective concern and thus significantly strengthened political mutual trust. In 2011, our two way trade exceeded US$90 billion, ten times the amount 10 years ago. In the same decade, China's non-financial direct investment in Malaysia increased from US$34.7 million to US$630 million and Malaysia's investment in China doubled. Through joint efforts, we set up two Confucius institutes in Malaysia and a Malay Research Center in China. The number of Chinese students in Malaysia and Malaysian students in China has reached 14,000. There are nearly 3,000,000 mutual visits between the two countries every year. Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. Friendship serves the fundamental interest of the two countries and the two peoples and has benefited our peoples.

Malaysia has one of the largest overseas Chinese communities. This morning, I visited Malacca and saw the evidence of the long history of China-Malaysia friendship. Over 600 years ago, the well-known Chinese navigator Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty docked his ships in Malacca several times on his seven voyages to the western seas. Today, there are still many stories about him there. In the past several hundred years, Chinese people have sailed across the sea to this beautiful and rich land. They have settled down, worked hard and thrived. While striving for a better life themselves, they have worked side by side with other ethnic groups and created the remarkable economic prosperity and social progress of Malaysia. Mr. Tan Kah Kee was an outstanding example of the many successful Chinese in Malaysia. Prime Minister Najib once said to the effect that, without the Chinese, Malaysia would not have achieved so much success. I applaud the great achievements you have made.

The fast growth of China-Malaysia relations would not have been possible without your hard work. You have invested in China, made donation to education and promoted cultural exchanges between the two countries. You are a bridge for the growth of bilateral relations. Without your efforts, China-Malaysia relationship would not have been where it is today. I salute you and thank you. Now, China-Malaysia relations face new opportunities of development. I hope you will leverage your advantage and make new and even greater contribution to promoting the development of bilateral relations and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Now in China, people are earnestly implementing the decisions made by the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party. The Party Congress made a comprehensive and systematic explanation of socialism with Chinese characteristics and laid out a blueprint for the bright future of China's development. We will keep our minds open, stick to the policy of reform and opening up, work together and overcome difficulties to turn China into a moderately prosperous society in all respects when the Party celebrates its centenary and make China a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious when the People's Republic marks its centennial. I am convinced that as long as we follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese Dream of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, the great renewal of the Chinese nation, will come true.

China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit and strive to uphold world peace and common development. China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and firmly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. We are firm in our resolve to uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests and will never yield to any outside pressure. China will unwaveringly follow a win-win strategy of opening up and promote robust, sustainable and balanced growth of the global economy through increased cooperation. The Chinese people love peace and yearn for development. We are ready to work with the people of other countries to unremittingly promote the noble cause of peace and development for mankind.

China's development has given a strong boost to the development of the neighboring countries. Over the past 10 years, the trade between China and its neighbours has grown from US$170 billion to US$1 trillion. China's investment in these countries has also seen double digit growth annually. China has become the largest trading partner and source of investment and tourists for many of its neighbors. This has truly benefited both China and countries in this region and contributed enormously to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia. As it moves forward, China will prove a bigger market and present more opportunities to the neighboring countries. China's import is expected to reach US$8 trillion during its 12th Five-Year Plan period. Malaysia, on its part, is working to realize Vision 2020. As China and its neighbours work hard to meet their respective development goals, greater potential and energy of cooperation will be unleashed. We hope to work with other people in the region for a more prosperous Asia.

As the Year of the Snake draws near, a new season will soon come. At this auspicious moment when all the Chinese people are to celebrate the Chinese New Year, I wish to extend New Year greetings to all of you present and to the Chinese communities in Malaysia and the rest of the world. I wish you good health, thriving business, family happiness and good luck.

Thank you.