SHANGHAI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived in Shanghai for a four-day official visit to China, marking his third trip since taking office in November 2022.
He landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 9.50pm, accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.
Upon his arrival, Anwar was welcomed by Malaysia's Ambassador to China, Datuk Norman Muhammad, and Consul General Syed Farizal Aminy Syed Mohamad.
He was also greeted by Shanghai Deputy Mayor and Minhang District Party Secretary Che Yu Jian, along with China's Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.
During his visit, Anwar will attend the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), where Malaysia has been recognised as the Country of Honour.
The CIIE is part of the Chinese government's initiative to create a platform for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to promote their products and services in China.
Anwar is scheduled to meet with Premier Li Qiang tomorrow to discuss bilateral matters, following their previous meeting in Putrajaya in June.
On Nov 7, he will have a courtesy call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where both leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues.
Since 2009, China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
In the last year alone, total trade with China was valued at RM450.84 billion (USD98.80 billion), accounting for 17.1 per cent of Malaysia's global trade.
According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, China ranks as Malaysia's fifth-largest foreign investor, with total inflows of RM14.5 billion (USD3.3 billion).