BEIJING, Sept 3 — Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged his full support for accelerating Malaysia's full membership in the BRICS bloc.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that this development was conveyed by Xi during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People here yesterday.
"President Xi stated his full support for accelerating Malaysia's participation as a full member of BRICS.
"This is a great honor and a sign of support for our country to continue playing an important role on the world stage," he told Malaysian media covering his four-day working visit to China.
BRICS, established in 2009, is currently made up of 11 countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and Egypt. Malaysia became a partner country of the bloc in early 2025.
Earlier, the Prime Minister made a courtesy call on Xi, where both leaders discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Commenting on the meeting, Anwar said that it reinforced ties that have been in place since Xi's state visit to Malaysia last April, during which 31 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements were signed.
"I stated that this relationship must be translated with the immediate implementation of the matters that have been agreed upon. Only with quick action can this special relationship have a more meaningful impact on the people of both countries," he said.
He added that he highly appreciates the sincerity of the friendship expressed by President Xi and the respect given to Malaysia.
"Praise be to God, President Xi and I are in agreement to continue strengthening this friendship based on trust, respect, and sincerity. Even though we are a small country, confidence, mutual trust, and shared determination can become a great strength to shape a more peaceful, just, and prosperous future," he said.
Anwar also expressed support for the proposals and ideas championed by President Xi, especially the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which strengthens global connectivity, as well as the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) conceived during this time's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
He also congratulated Xi on the successful and historic organisation of the SCO Summit.
China remains Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching US$106 billion (RM455 billion) last year, reflecting the closeness of this relationship.
"I stated to President Xi about Malaysia's commitment to strengthening high-value exports such as E&E (electrical and electronics), aerospace, medical, pharmaceutical, as well as oil and gas," said Anwar.
