PETALING JAYA: Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein(pix) will participate at the Asia and Pacific High-Level Video Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation today, at the invitation of HE Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.
The conference will focus on open, fair and non-discriminatory international cooperation on vaccines as well as, promotion of green development for sustainable and inclusive growth.
Hishammuddin will deliver a speech, in which he will among others, emphasize the importance of balancing the public health considerations and intensification of the global efforts to combating the Covid-19 pandemic under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
He will also focus on the current challenges afflicting the global vaccine equity as well as, ways to build and strengthen national resilience against the more virulent pandemics in the future.
In line with the theme of the conference, the minister will also share his reflection on the “green development” along the peripheries of the BRI and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The pandemic has seen a protracted and difficult struggle for the world, but Malaysia believes that the throw of innovative ideas and forward-looking green strategies will enable countries in the Asia Pacific region to better emerge from the pandemic, and position them on the road towards sustainable growth.
Malaysia and China signed the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Mutual Economic Development through the PRC’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative on 13 May 2017.
In 2020, Malaysia’s total trade with China expanded by 4.2%, reaching RM329.77 billion in value. The surge was mainly contributed by a 12.5% increase in value of export to China amounting to RM158.6 billion. China stood as Malaysia’s largest export destination for 12 consecutive years since 2008.
