PM Anwar Advancing Malaysia’s Diplomatic Outreach on Second Day in Tianjin
From Voon Miaw Ping
TIANJIN (China), Sept 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s second day of a working visit here will see him focus on strengthening the country’s diplomatic outreach and reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to multilateralism.
The day will start with him delivering a public lecture entitled ‘Sovereign Interdependence: Building a Shared Future in Asia’ at Tianjin University, the oldest modern university in China.
Established in 1895, Tianjin University is renowned for its technology, engineering and sciences programmes.
The university also has a twinning programme with Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) in the field of chemical engineering.
The lecture is expected to be attended by 500 students, academics and think tank representatives.
Following the public lecture, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, will hold one-on-one business meetings with two top Chinese companies - Rianlon Corporation and China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC).
Rianlon Corporation, headquartered in Tianjin, is a global leader in polymer additives, supplying advanced materials that support industries ranging from automotive to electronics.
The CCCC, meanwhile, is a leading global comprehensive service provider of ultra-large infrastructure.
The Hong Kong-listed Fortune Global 500 company is also the main contractor for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project through its indirect subsidiary, China Communications Construction ECRL Sdn Bhd.
The highlight of the Prime Minister’s visit to Tianjin is his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, where he has been invited by China, the current Chair, to deliver remarks at the SCO Plus Summit at 4 pm.
The Summit, held at Tianjin Meijiang Convention Centre, will be attended by more than 20 world leaders, notably Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Anwar’s presence at the Summit, despite Malaysia not being an observer state or a dialogue partner to the SCO, underscores the country’s growing stature in global affairs.
It is also a manifestation of the close and strategic trust between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.
The Prime Minister and his delegation will depart for Beijing later at night to continue the second part of his high-powered engagements with Chinese leaders and industry titans during the four-day visit.
On Sunday evening, Anwar attended the SCO gala dinner at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre.
He was accompanied by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
They were greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the dinner hosted by Xi as current Chair of the SCO, ahead of the 2025 Summit on Monday.
The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Today, its membership has expanded to include Pakistan, India, Iran and Belarus.
-- BERNAMA
