Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Malaysian Supreme Head of State Mizan Abidin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Lai Xiangdong)

By Zhang Wen

Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak today to further expand the scale of bilateral economic and trade cooperation ahead of the APEC summit in neighboring Singapore.

"Malaysia is a friendly neighbor of China and people of the two countries enjoy a time-honored friendship," Hu, the first Chinese leader to visit Malaysia in 15 years, said in a statement upon his arrival Tuesday. "To deepen China-Malaysia strategic cooperation under the new circumstances serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the region."

According to Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Hu will also visit the historic enclave of Malacca.

"Hu asked to go to Malacca himself," Anifah said Monday at a press conference.

Trade between China and Malaysia dates back to the 15th century when Malacca was an important stop-off point for the trading fleet. Chinese explorer Zheng He visited there five times.

In recent years, China-Malaysia bilateral trade volume has maintained a steady growth rate. According to statistics from China's General Administration of Customs, despite the impact of the global financial crisis, the two countries' bilateral trade volume reached $53.4 billion in 2008, up by more than 15 percent compared with the same period of 2007. Now, China is Malaysia's fourth-largest trading partner, while Malaysia is China's largest trading partner in the ASEAN.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) and his wife Liu Yongqing pose with Malaysian Supreme Head of State Mizan Abidin (R) for a group photo during their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

There are many guesses about the "surprise gift" Hu will give to Malaysia. The Kwong Wah Daily guessed it could be a panda. However, many just hope he can help bring more investment and economic development to the country.

"The abundant natural resources Malaysia has, such as oil, natural gas, timber and rubber, could attract investment from China. Also, Malaysia's strong manufacturing industry could offer many opportunities for Chinese companies," said Tan Sri William Cheng, the president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.

Zhou Shixin, a researcher from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, also pointed out that, as a small neighboring country of China, Malaysia may have maladjusted to China's rapid development. But he said the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s already weakened the worries of China being a threat to it.

Agencies contributed to this story

Chinese President Hu Jintao (3rd L, front) exchanges gifts with Malaysian Supreme Head of State Mizan Abidin (4th L, front) after their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C, front) meets with Malaysian Supreme Head of State Mizan Abidin (R, front) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Hu Jintao (2nd L) and his wife Liu Yongqing (1st L) attend the welcome ceremony in honor of Hu held by Malaysian Supreme Head of State Mizan Abidin (2nd R) on the square in front of the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Graphics shows Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing on Nov. 10, 2009 to pay state visits to Malaysia and Singapore and attend an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)