A reception was held on September 23 to celebrate the 68th anniversary of Malaysia's National Day and the 62nd Malaysia Day by the Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou.

Background of the reception in Guangzhou on Sept. 23, 2025.

In his speech, Wang Xuecheng, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, extended sincere festive greetings and best wishes to Cornelia Chin, Acting Consul General of Malaysia in Guangzhou, and to all Malaysian friends working, studying, and living in Guangdong.

Wang highlighted the exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and Malaysia.

The total import and export trade between Guangdong and Malaysia in 2024 reached over 310 billion yuan, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the national total. Guangdong-based firms such as EVE Energy in Huizhou and Shenzhen Senior Technology Material Co., Ltd. have invested in local projects in Malaysia.

Throughout 2024, Guangdong received over one million tourist arrivals from Malaysia, while more than 1.4 million tourists from Guangdong visited Malaysia, ranking first in inbound tourist arrivals and fourth in outbound destinations, respectively.

Given the implementation of the China-Malaysia mutual visa exemption agreement, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are projected to continue growing, Wang stated.

At last, Wang wishes for flourishing cooperation between Guangdong and Malaysia.

Live band performance at the reception in Guangzhou on Sept. 23, 2025.

Correspondingly, Cornelia Chin expressed her gratitude for the guests' attendance despite typhoon warnings to begin her welcome remarks.

She underscored the trade and investment between Malaysia and China amidst global economic headwinds. China has remained Malaysia's top trading partner for 16 consecutive years and was the main source of imports in 2024.

Malaysia's total trade with China in 2024 amounted to over 480 billion Ringgit, with the total trade between Malaysia and Guangdong accounting for almost a quarter of that amount. Notably, Malaysia became China's top source of imports within ASEAN.

"These achievements reflect not only the strength of our bilateral trade but also the vast potential the Chinese market holds for Malaysian businesses," Chin noted.

China was Malaysia's second-largest investor, with 84.9 billion US dollars of approved investment in 2024, a 14.9% year-on-year growth from 2023, marking the highest ever recorded approved investment in Malaysia.

Chin listed Chinese enterprises such as Huawei, EVE Energy, and Zhuhai CosMx as Malaysia's major investors, thanks to the Malaysian government's favorable policies and the efforts of the domestic investment team.

Decorations at the reception in Guangzhou on Sept. 23, 2025.

Additionally, Malaysia has long invested in Guangdong, according to Chin. Malaysian companies that continue to thrive in Guangdong province include Press Metal, Perfect China, Petronas, Sime, Shangri-La Hotel, and AirAsia.

As for people-to-people exchanges, Chin revealed that many Malaysians of Chinese descent can trace their roots back to Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian.

Given the excellent air connectivity, Guangdong is currently the best-connected province in China to Malaysia, with more than 20 daily flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shantou to various parts of Malaysia.

In the first half of 2025 alone, almost two million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia, while China remains a favorite holiday destination among Malaysians.

Finally, Chin warmly invited all guests to discover more of Malaysia, as more exciting programs will be arranged when the country ushers in Visit Malaysia Year 2026.