Wang Yi Talks about the Five-point Consensus of China and Malaysia

On April 1, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein in Nanping City, Fujian Province and jointly met the press.

Wang Yi said that China and Malaysia are good neighbors who have lived in friendly relations for millennia, good partners of Belt and Road cooperation, and good brothers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic hand in hand. As the bilateral relations keep growing, there is a huge potential for the cooperation between the two sides. After comparing notes on fully promoting China-Malaysia relations and practical bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic period, and having thorough communication on regional and international situations, the two countries reached the following five-point consensus.

First, we need to initiate the work of the high-level committee on China-Malaysia cooperation, and make plans to promote bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic period. This is the most important outcome of this visit, and the latest development of China-Malaysia relations as well. Under the concerted efforts of the two sides and other regional countries, significant progress has been made in pandemic prevention and control in the region, and a new journey of recovery and development in the post-pandemic period has started. In the face of new circumstances and new tasks, China and Malaysia need to get off to a good start. The two foreign ministers have signed a memorandum of understanding. The two countries will jointly lead this important mechanism and get back on our feet by taking the opportunity of China's new development paradigm and Malaysia's comprehensive economic recovery to deepen the alignment of development strategies, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, in order to seize development opportunities in the post-pandemic period, push economic and social development of the two countries back to normal, and facilitate faster and better development of the two countries and the region.

Second, we need to continue to deepen vaccine cooperation. COVID-19 vaccine has become a potent weapon to overcome the pandemic, and the focus of international anti-pandemic cooperation. Different batches of semi-finished Chinese vaccines have arrived in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia will become the second country of the region to cooperate with China in vaccine filling after Indonesia. It signifies the vaccine cooperation between the two countries has been elevated to a new level. Vaccine cooperation between China and Malaysia will benefit more people in the region, effectively improve the accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines, and help reject vaccine nationalism with practical actions. The two sides are willing to accelerate the establishment of 'fast tracks' for personnel exchanges, and negotiate on mutual recognition of health code, in order to realize wider and more efficient personnel exchanges, and bring back the regular people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Third, we need to continue to promote regional cooperation. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. China and Malaysia will jointly hold successful celebrations of the anniversary, improve the level of China-Malaysia strategic partnership, promote the early entry into force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and share the benefits of a free trade zone and economic integration of the region. China firmly supports the ASEAN centrality, and is willing to work with the ASEAN countries including Malaysia to carry forward the multilateralism with East Asian characteristics, sustain a mature structure of regional cooperation, and promote long-lasting and common development of East Asian countries.

Fourth, we need to jointly maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea. As important costal countries of the South China Sea, China and Malaysia agree on the reinforcement of marine dialogue and cooperation and proper management of differences. We need to continue to strengthen our determination and overcome interruptions, fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, create enabling conditions amid the pandemic and promote offline consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in a flexible manner. The two sides agree to formulate substantive and effective rules which are consistent with international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea at an early date, in order to better maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea.

Fifth, we need to support multilateralism and sovereign equality and oppose unilateralism and interference in internal affairs, and establish international relations of mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. The pandemic has once again proved that all countries are a community with a shared future. We should abandon zero-sum thinking and ideological biases, and join hands to tackle common risk and challenges faced by all human societies in the spirit of openness, tolerance and equality. As important developing countries and emerging economies of the region, China and Malaysia are willing to work together with regional countries and the rest of the world to uphold real multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.