On September 29, 2021, Chinese Consul General in Penang Mr. Lu Shiwei attended the Virtual Exchange Activity on “the New Development Stage of China and New Opportunities of China-Malaysia Cooperation” held by the Penang Chinese Town Hall and delivered a speech. Nearly 80 people attended the meeting including Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, Mr. Khor Teng How, Chairman of Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH), major responsible persons of PCTH, representatives of PCTH internal bodies, representatives of community associations in Penang, media, etc. 

Consul General Lu Shiwei stated that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Over the past century, the CPC has led the Chinese people to achieve great success in the new-democratic revolution, the socialist revolution and construction, and the reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization. The Chinese nation has realized a tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), China has realized industrialization in just a few decades, which took developed Western countries several centuries, and has created miracle of rapid economic and social development that has attracted worldwide attention, and has brought enormous changes to people’s lives. COVID-19 pandemic has been rampaging across the world and the global economy is under the severe impact of the pandemic. China was the first to contain the COVID-19 virus and achieved rapid economic growth.

China’s development continues to give new impetus to China-Malaysia friendly relations. Over the 47 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, the bilateral relations of the two countries have been developing steadily, and the bilateral cooperation has grown in depth and substance. Facing the severe challenges of the pandemic, China and Malaysia have worked closely together and sincerely helped each other to overcome difficulties. The friendship between China and Malaysia emerged stronger from the test of COVID-19.

At present, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the Chinese people are marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in every dimension. China grounds the efforts in the new stage of development, stays committed to the new development philosophy, and actively fosters a new development paradigm, which will fully unlock the country’s domestic market potential, more efficiently connect domestic and foreign markets and share resources and factors of production with the world. This will provide broader market and create vast business possibilities for other countries. China’s new achievements in development will provide new opportunities for Malaysia’s development and China-Malaysia cooperation.

Mr. Chow Kon Yeow said that Malaysia-China relations have enjoyed fundamental development since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The COVID-19 pandemic currently is the greatest challenge to the whole world. The governments and peoples of Malaysia and China helped each other, joined hands to fight the pandemic, wrote new chapters of Malaysia-China friendly relations, and kept enriching the content of bilateral relations.

Mr. Khor Teng How stated that the global economy is experiencing slower growth due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, to our delight, the bilateral trade and mutual investments between China and Malaysia forged ahead against strong headwinds from the pandemic and achieved positive growth. We should grasp the opportunities, promote high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, foster cooperation of new business forms such as e-commerce, Internet and digital economy, and share the fruitful results of China’s achievements in new development stage and new opportunities of China-Malaysia cooperation.

Consul General Lu Shiwei, and the participants from Chinese Consulate General answered questions on economy, trade and investment, cultural exchanges, educational cooperation, bilateral exchanges and cooperation amid and after the pandemic, etc. The atmosphere of the event was very active and the effect of the event is very positive.