Foreign and Military Affairs

Pursue dreams, not titles: Wen

By Li Xiaokun and Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-28 07:38

Wen's two-day visit to Malaysia is his first to the country in six years. He is scheduled to have official talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and attend the China-Malaysia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum.

On Thursday, he will witness the signing of a series of deals in the fields of telecommunications, trade, finance and infrastructure construction.

But prior to those formal events, Wen was invited by Najib to a private dinner on a vessel on Putrajaya Lake on Wednesday night.

Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak smile during a photo call before they take a boat ride to the latter's residence in Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur April 27, 2011. Wen is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia. [Photo/Agencies]

Najib has a special connection to China because Malaysia's second prime minister, Najib's father, the late Abdul Razak, visited China in 1974 and ensured Malaysia was the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Noting that Malaysia proposed, 20 years ago, to start a dialogue process between China and the ASEAN, Wen told reporters earlier that China will never forget such links between the two countries.

Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency, said on Wednesday that Wen's visit will allow Malaysia and China to take stock of the development of bilateral cooperation in various areas and follow up on agreements achieved during Najib's visit to China two years ago.

Analysts said Najib has put Beijing high on his foreign policy radar and has made concrete efforts to develop Malaysia's already good relations with China.

Luo Yongkun, a researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said in an article he published that Najib has showed a willingness to inherit his father's eagerness to nurture a strong relationship with the world's most populous nation.

"He has opened a Chinese-language blog and attached great importance to Mandarin education," Luo said, adding that Najib encourages Malaysians to learn Chinese so they can expand their commercial networks and create jobs.

Luo also noted that the way Najib deals with issues in the South China Sea will be crucial to how relations continue to develop with China.

It is widely believed that Premier Wen Jiabao will discuss with Najib territorial disputes connected to islands and reefs in the South China Sea when they have an official meeting on Thursday.

But both Wen and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said recently that competing territorial claims will not prevent the two countries from enjoying a peaceful coexistence.

Currently, China is Malaysia's largest trading partner and Malaysia is China's biggest trading partner within ASEAN.

The Malaysia stop is the first leg in Wen's Southeast Asian tour, which will take him to Indonesia later this week.