China-Malaysia economic and trade relations have been developing smoothly, and Malaysia is China's second largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said a senior trade official Monday in Beijing.
Shi Guangsheng, minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation (MOFTEC), made the remarks when talking with Paduka Rafidah Aziz, Malaysian minister of international trade and industry, at the fifth meeting of the China-Malaysia Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Relations.
In 2000, Sino-Malaysian bilateral trade volume reached 8 billion US dollars, and mutual investment also made considerableprogress, Shi said. The bilateral economic cooperation has shown good momentum.
The China-Malaysia Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Relations has become an important institution for researching and promoting bilateral economic and trade relations, as well as for solving trade issues, Shi said.
Shi expressed the hope that the fifth meeting would bring substantive discussion for issues of common concern, and that solutions to these issues could be found.
As an important channel for communication and exchanges betweenthe two governments and the business circles of the two countries,Rafidah said, the Joint Committee will promote cooperation betweenChinese and Malaysian enterprises through talks on trade issues ofmutual interest.
Rafidah said she was satisfied with the recent development of bilateral trade and economic ties.
The two sides also briefed each other on their domestic economic situations, exchanging views on detailed trade and economic issues such as trade balance and palm oil trade.
(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2001)
