Beijing, September 3 — In a warm and meaningful diplomatic moment, Chinese President Xi Jinping has thrown his full support behind Malaysia’s aspiration to become a full member of the BRICS alliance, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed.
This development came during a personal meeting between the two leaders at the iconic Great Hall of the People in Beijing, as part of Anwar’s four-day working visit to China.
“President Xi expressed his full support for Malaysia’s full membership in BRICS,” said Anwar. “It’s not just an endorsement — it’s a strong gesture of trust, respect, and acknowledgment of Malaysia’s growing voice on the global stage.”
Malaysia had earlier been accepted as a partner country in the BRICS grouping, which includes influential global players like Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and more recently, Egypt. Gaining full membership would open greater opportunities for economic and diplomatic collaboration.
During their discussion, Anwar and Xi spoke openly about enhancing bilateral cooperation. Their conversation built on the momentum from Xi’s visit to Malaysia in April, where 31 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements were signed.
“I reminded President Xi that to turn our strong friendship into real impact, we need immediate and effective execution of what we’ve already agreed upon,” Anwar shared with Malaysian media. “The people of both our nations deserve to see the benefits.”
Anwar also praised the sincerity shown by Xi and China’s consistent respect towards Malaysia. “Alhamdulillah, there’s a deep sense of mutual trust. We may be a smaller country, but with shared determination, we can help shape a better, fairer, and more peaceful future.”
He reiterated Malaysia’s support for President Xi’s global initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) — both aiming to reshape global cooperation and connectivity.
In a touching moment of diplomatic goodwill, Anwar also congratulated Xi on the successful hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, calling it “historic.”
China continues to be Malaysia’s top trading partner — a position it has held for 16 consecutive years. Trade between the two nations reached an impressive US$106 billion last year.
“I’ve expressed our strong commitment to boosting high-value exports such as electronics and electrical goods, aerospace components, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas,” Anwar concluded, reinforcing Malaysia’s forward-thinking economic vision.
