After Vietnam, the visit will also strengthen the partnership with Malaysia in key sectors: industry (aerospace), Defense (military cooperation and technology exchange), trade. Tomorrow he will go to Cambodia

In an apparent strategy aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and challenging the protectionist trade policies of the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping, after undertaking a State visit to Vietnam (see AVIONEWS), arrived in Malaysia yesterday for the signing of a series of strategic agreements. The arrival of the Chinese leader on a plane of the national carrier Air China that landed at the international airport of the capital, was marked by a formal welcome at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, where he was received by the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, and by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The visit, part of a broader tour of Southeast Asia that included a previous stop in Vietnam, centered on a bilateral meeting between Xi and Anwar, during which partnership agreements were signed in areas crucial to the economic development and security of both countries. Malaysian government sources confirmed that the agreements include:

- Advanced industrial cooperation: a memorandum of understanding to establish joint-ventures in the aerospace sector, with the aim of developing technologies for civil and commercial aviation. Chinese industry sources reveal that this is a partnership aimed at reducing dependence on Western technologies.

- Defense strengthening: a military cooperation agreement that includes joint exercises and technology exchange, with the aim of strengthening regional security. Malaysian security sources have stressed the importance of this agreement in the context of rising tensions in the South China Sea.

- Infrastructure investment: a Chinese investment plan to develop digital infrastructure in Malaysia, including the expansion of 5G networks and the construction of data centers, in line -according to official Chinese statements- with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an ambitious Chinese infrastructure project aimed at connecting Asia, Africa and Europe through transport, energy and communications networks.

- Trade agreements: contracts have been signed or are being signed to increase imports of Malaysian palm oil and other agricultural products, in response to tariffs imposed by the United States.

In a speech in Kuala Lumpur in these hours, Xi stressed the importance of free trade and multilateral cooperation, implicitly criticizing American protectionist policies. The final stop of the Chinese presidential tour will be Cambodia, where he will arrive tomorrow, April 17, and where the leader is expected to sign further agreements on economic and infrastructure cooperation (for example, 45 already signed with Vietnam). The tour will end on Friday, April 18.