China and Malaysia face each other across the sea, and their thousand year old friendship has a long and profound history. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on May 31, 1974, China Malaysia relations have gone through half a century of ups and downs, continuously deepening and expanding, and becoming increasingly mature and stable. Entering a new era, bilateral relations have become more vibrant and dynamic. In 2025, both sides jointly announced the construction of a high-level strategic China Malaysia community with a shared future, showcasing the new era of China Malaysia relations with deep roots and lush leaves like rubber trees and flowing endlessly like the Yangtze River, demonstrating the profound friendship of "cutting water continuously". On the evening of September 23rd, the grand reception for Malaysia's 68th National Day and 62nd Malaysia Day celebration was held in Guangzhou. Wang Xuecheng, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Political Consultative Conference, Cornelia Chin Siew Ling, Acting Consul General of Malaysia in Guangzhou, Wang Guilin, Vice Chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal Political Consultative Conference, as well as foreign delegations and friendly individuals from all walks of life attended the event to discuss the friendly relationship between China and Malaysia. At the event, Chen Xiuling, the Acting Consul General of Malaysia in Guangzhou, pointed out in her speech that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1974, the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and China has steadily progressed, with frequent high-level interactions, fruitful cooperation achievements in various fields, and close people to people friendly exchanges. Chen Xiuling stated that in terms of high-level interaction, Malaysia and China celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, and Malaysia's highest head of state Ibrahim successfully visited China. Both sides are committed to building a high-level China Malaysia community with a shared future. After the significant milestone of the 50th anniversary last year, this year's bilateral relations between the two countries have continued to write a new chapter, particularly reflected in more frequent high-level visits and exchanges, vividly reflecting the close bilateral relationship between the two countries. In the field of economy and trade, she emphasized that China has maintained Malaysia's position as the largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years since 2009, and Malaysia is also the largest source of imports for China in the ASEAN region. In 2024, China became the second largest investor in Malaysia, with approved investment amounts reaching 84.9 billion US dollars, an increase of 14.9% compared to 2023, setting a new record for the highest approved investment amount in Malaysia's history, demonstrating the strong resilience and broad prospects of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. In terms of cultural exchanges, Chen Xiuling pointed out that Malaysia has a deep connection with China, especially in southern China. Many Malaysian Chinese have ancestors from Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian. At present, Guangdong has become the province with the closest connectivity between Malaysia and China, with over 20 daily flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shantou to various cities in Malaysia. In the first half of this year, nearly 2 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia, making China a popular vacation destination for Malaysians. Finally, she reiterated that Malaysia will continue to tap into the potential of cooperation between the two countries and promote Malaysia China relations to a higher level. In his speech, Wang Xuecheng, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Political Consultative Conference, first extended sincere greetings and best wishes to Malaysian friends working, studying, and living in Guangdong. He stated that China and Malaysia are like-minded good friends, and both sides are walking hand in hand on the path of modernization, jointly opening a new "golden 50 years" of China Malaysia relations. Wang Xuecheng pointed out that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and Malaysia have continued to deepen. In 2024, the import and export trade volume between Guangdong and Malaysia reached 310.47 billion yuan, accounting for about one-fifth of the total bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia, demonstrating the strong vitality of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. In terms of tourism cooperation, he introduced that Guangdong received a total of 1.039 million Malaysian tourists last year, with Malaysia ranking first as the source of inbound tourists to Guangdong; During the same period, 1.454 million Guangdong tourists visited Malaysia, making Malaysia the fourth largest destination for Guangdong residents' outbound tourism. He said: "I believe that under the promotion of the China Malaysia visa free agreement, people to people and cultural exchanges between the two places will continue to rise." Wang Xuecheng further said that Guangdong is unswervingly deepening reform in an all-round way, expanding high-level opening up, advancing the construction of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area in a new stage in depth, and firmly building a Chinese path to modernization practice in Guangdong. This process will provide new opportunities for cooperation for countries around the world, including Malaysia. He said, "Guangdong is willing to work with Malaysia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously expand good cooperation in various fields, and promote the construction of a high-level strategic China Malaysia community with a shared future." During the event, the guests wished the friendship between China and Malaysia lasting forever. Artists from both countries took the stage together, presenting a splendid and diverse cultural performance, bringing a visual and auditory feast to the guests. From the friendly exchanges on the ancient Maritime Silk Road to the new journey of building a community with a shared future between China and Malaysia in the new era, the relationship between the two countries has always been at the forefront of the times and continues to move forward. Currently, cooperation between China and Malaysia in areas such as economy, culture, and education is deepening and achieving remarkable results. In addition, as important developing countries and emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region, the pragmatic cooperation between the two sides continues to inject stability and positive energy into regional and even global development. In 2025, Malaysia will serve as the rotating chair of ASEAN and the coordinator of China ASEAN relations, and officially become a partner of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, providing an important opportunity for both sides to strengthen cooperation in regional and international affairs. In this context, China and Malaysia are expected to become important pillars of regional stability and models of global southern cooperation, seizing the historical initiative of the "next golden 50 years" with practical actions, and jointly making greater contributions to building a more peaceful and prosperous world. (Xinhua News Agency) Article: Yi Chunyan Picture: Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou