Newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Yao Wen has outlined plans to strengthen relations between the two countries, placing particular focus on economic cooperation, emerging technologies and closer people-to-people exchanges.
In a written address upon his arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Saturday, Yao said he hoped to turn agreements reached by the leaders of both countries into tangible results while expanding collaboration in infrastructure, trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.
“It is a great pleasure to be back in Malaysia, a beautiful country known as ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’, as I step into my new role. After years working in the region and visiting Malaysia numerous times, I have always held a special place for this country in my heart,” he said.
Yao, 53, arrived from Beijing on Saturday night aboard an Air China flight, succeeding Ouyang Yujing as China’s ambassador to Malaysia. He was received by representatives from the Foreign Ministry’s Protocol and Consular Department.
He said his ultimate aim was to promote broader cooperation and friendly exchanges, bringing the people of both countries closer. He identified four key priorities to guide his work during his tenure.
His first priority is to strengthen political mutual trust and build on the longstanding friendship between Malaysia and China.
Yao said China was pursuing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation, while Malaysia was advancing its strategic development under the Malaysia Madani vision.
He added that both countries were well placed to support each other’s modernisation efforts, deepen strategic trust and ensure the long-term development of their high-level strategic community with a shared future.
On economic ties, his second priority, Yao called for further progress under the Belt and Road Initiative, with continued cooperation in established areas such as infrastructure and trade, alongside new opportunities in AI and semiconductors.
His third priority focuses on people-to-people exchanges, which he described as the foundation of strong bilateral relations.
He said both countries should make greater use of their mutual visa-free policy and Visit Malaysia Year 2026 to expand cooperation in education, culture, healthcare, tourism and exchanges at the sub-national level.
Yao also expressed hope that the Confucian-Islamic Civilisational Dialogues would be successfully held to encourage mutual understanding and strengthen ties between the two peoples.
His fourth priority is closer coordination between Malaysia and China on multilateral issues, with both countries working to promote international fairness and justice.
“Together, China and Malaysia must uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, champion international fairness and justice, and amplify the voice of the Global South to forge a more equitable global governance system,” he said.
He added that a commitment to openness and development, together with efforts to establish rules for emerging fields, could help provide greater certainty amid global turbulence and volatility.
Yao said he intended to build on the work of his predecessors and work closely with Malaysians from all walks of life to deepen comprehensive cooperation and strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
He also called for continued dialogue, the sharing of ideas and closer collaboration to reinforce bilateral relations and bring lasting prosperity to both peoples for generations to come.
