Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the media cooperation between his country and China in a recent interview jointly carried out by China Media Group (CMG) and Malaysia's All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator (Astro).
Anwar was interviewed by reporters from the two media outlets ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Malaysia from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Ahead of the interview, the reporters shared their experiences with the prime minister over witnessing an ever intensifying cooperation between the two countries' media outlets over the past few years.
"The cooperation between CMG and Astro is one of symbols of the China-Malaysia friendship. We have cooperated for four years," said Luqman Hariz, Astro AWANI anchor and journalist.
"Every week, we would have discussions on issues of common concern with Malaysian experts from various fields. Last year we invited Astro AWANI colleagues to report the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. And this time, it's a great honor for us to interview you, Mr. Prime Minister, at the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, together with our Malaysian colleagues," said Zhang Hong, a CMG reporter.
Calling the CMG-Astro cooperation a good start, Anwar said China is a good friend of Malaysia, and hoped for friendship with all countries.
"I think this is a good start. In fact, there are also noises within Malaysia that aim to sow discord between Malaysia and China, which I really don't understand. For Malaysia, we should be on good terms with all countries. Of course, we focus on and give priority to ASEAN and Asian countries. We think that China is a good friend to Malaysia. As Malaysia and China join hands and move forward together, more opportunities for bilateral economic and trade cooperation will be created," he said.
Malaysian PM gives thumb-up on China-Malaysia media cooperation
China has made steady progress in building a more comprehensive childbearing support policy system, as a package of measures including childcare subsidies, tax deductions and expanded childcare services have taken effect nationwide in recent years to promote high-quality population development.
As the latest efforts, the 2026 childcare subsidy scheme has opened for application nationwide. Eligible families with children under the age of three can receive an annual subsidy of 3,600 yuan (about 516 U.S. dollars) per child.
Meanwhile, China has also raised the threshold for special additional deductions in individual income tax for taking care of children under age three as well as for children's education from 1,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan monthly (around 143 to 287 U.S. dollars) since Jan 1, 2023.
Fan, a new mother in Nanning City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that all these policies have brought greater subsidies and improved services.
"After going through the whole process, the subsidies are greater. Whether in terms of costs or services, I think they are all very good," she said.
With policy support, local governments have vigorously developed diversified childcare services, including integrated childcare and early education programs, community-embedded childcare facilities, and employer-sponsored childcare services.
So far, 1,315 counties, cities, districts and banners nationwide have introduced support measures such as construction subsidies, operational subsidies and family consumption vouchers for childcare services, effectively reducing the cost burden on families.
The national average price of full-day childcare services has dropped by 29 percent.
At the same time, a total of 4,845 secondary and tertiary public general hospitals across the country are now able to provide pediatric services.
About 80,000 childcare service institutions have signed agreements with medical and health institutions to establish health growth records for enrolled infants and toddlers, further advancing the building of a childbearing-friendly society in an all-round way.
China expands childbearing support policies to promote high-quality population development
