Q: We have noted that officials from Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) recently visited Beijing, and held a bilateral communication with MOFCOM on issues concerning the Malaysia-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. Could you provide details on this matter?

A: On November 25, MOFCOM officials held discussions in Beijing with officials from Malaysia’s MITI on issues related to the Malaysia-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.

The Chinese side stated that it welcomes Malaysia’s efforts to resolve differences with other countries through negotiating economic and trade agreements. However, any such agreement should not negatively impact global trade development and regional cooperation, nor should it harm China's interests. China has serious concerns regarding certain contents of the Malaysia-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and urges Malaysia to act in its own long-term interests and fully consider and appropriately address these concerns.

The Malaysian side provided detailed explanations and clarifications on the concerns raised by China, and stated that Malaysia values its long-term partnership with China and remains committed to deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation.