Malaysian officials optimistic Xi's visit can open up new cooperation opportunities

Malaysian officials are optimistic that Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to the country can help deepen bilateral cooperation and open up new opportunities across multiple fields.

Xi arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday to begin a state visit, the second stop of his current five-day, three-nation Southeast Asia tour which started in Vietnam and will later conclude in Cambodia.

Wong Hon Wai, Executive Councilor for Malaysia's Penang State, shared his expectations for Xi's visit in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Wednesday.

Wong is currently attending the 2025 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Forum, which kicked off on Wednesday in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"There are many opportunities for us to continue to explore, [including in] business investment, education, culture and agriculture. So there's a long list of opportunities for both sides of Malaysia and China to explore. I think we are excited about (President Xi's) visit, and we hope that there'll be more of such visits as well as planning for us both countries to forge ahead," Wong said on the sidelines of the forum.

Also attending the forum is Penang State Councilor Chee Yeeh Keen, who emphasized the importance of the shared vision between Malaysia and China in achieving mutual growth. He cited a number of key infrastructure projects which are already taking place under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"If you want to grow together stronger, we need to share some vision that is the same. We are doing like Belt and Road Initiative whereby you know that our second bridge in Penang was co-built by China. I think it's the China Harbor Engineering [Company] and also our UEM [Group] -- our local company holdings. After that, we went into further in industrialization whereby we have this China-Malaysia industrial park in Kuantan, Pahang. Then I think we should look further beyond that. For example, now is industrialization and also like AI technology. We need to move into that, we need to share the same vision and we can grow together, [become] stronger together," said Chee.

The Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Forum is an event aimed at fostering international cooperation, exchange, and development among global cities. The forum serves as a platform for friendship cities -- those that have established official relationships with Chengdu through partnerships or sister city agreements -- to discuss and collaborate on a variety of issues such as economic development, cultural exchange, technology, and urban management.

China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, while Malaysia remains China's second-largest trading partner and the largest source of imports within the ASEAN.

Official data showed that in 2024, China-Malaysia bilateral trade reached 212 billion U.S. dollars, marking an 11.4 percent year-on-year increase.

Malaysian officials optimistic Xi's visit can open up new cooperation opportunities

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests