BEIJING, June 4 (Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said while the last 35 years had seen exciting developments between Malaysia and China, its current leaders and people must make the next 35 years even more exciting. Speaking at an anniversary dinner to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Najib said it was more important to look towards the future and chart the next course of action to bring more benefits to the people. The dinner was organised by the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, Malaysia-China Friendship Association, Malaysia-China Business Council and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. At the function, where most Malaysian participants wore batik, Najib said he believed that their bilateral relationship would remain strong as reflected from the genuine warmth that he had received over the last three days. He said the Malaysia-China relationship had been based on very strong mutual respect and trust. That relationship had "given us a very strong foundation to build upon", he said. China, he said, had been a great success story, and on a slightly more modest scale, Malaysia is a success story too. The prime minister said that he was confident that China, with its philosophy of drawing upon its rich heritage and employing modern technology, would be transformed into a major economic and political power in the world. Najib also referred to the fact that Malaysian citizens came from different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs and yet "we work and live together in a harmonious multi-racial society with peace and harmony." He also said that Malaysian citizens of Chinese origin, who shared a common ancestry with the people in China, had remained loyal to Malaysia and had contributed enormously to the nation's growth and development. Citing an example of their loyalty, he said whenever the Malaysian badminton team played against the Chinese team, Malaysians of Chinese origin would usually support the Malaysian team. But he added in jest that the Malaysian team often lost to the Chinese team. Najib also said many Malaysian Muslims were fascinated with China's Muslim minority people and had travelled to learn more about them. Earlier, China's Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who also spoke at the function, said both countries must work together for a better future. He said there was much that China and Malaysia could cooperate given that the former was embarking on a programme to build a stronger and more prosperous society by 2020 while the latter's Vision 2020 was about transforming itself into a developed nation. Li said there was much that the two countries could work under its just signed Joint Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation. The guests were treated to cultural dances by a Malaysian troupe as well as an acrobatic and a magic show by Chinese performers.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- For Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Malaysia's relations with China have a special personal significance. Najib says he was still a student when his late father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, made a historic visit to Beijing in 1974 to meet Zhou Enlai, then the prime minister of China. "As a result of their vision, diplomatic relations between our two countries were formally established. "When Malaysia strengthens its relationship with China, this is not just foreign relations, but an expression of our national life. "The Malaysian Chinese community is an integral thread in our national fabric, making close ties between our two countries both essential and inevitable," he says in his preface in a book entitled "Moving Ahead: Malaysia-China Relations". The 250-page book, published by MPH Group, contains selected speeches by Najib as the prime minister and also during his tenure as the deputy prime minister. The book sells for RM25. The book highlights Najib's aspirations to serve the country by introducing his concept of 1Malaysia and his dynamic policies towards East Asia, with special focus on the relationship between Malaysia and China. In the preface, Najib also says that as the deputy prime minister, minister of defence and minister of education, he has visited China many times, making many friendships there that have built on the close existing ties between the two countries. "It is no coincidence that after becoming prime minister, the first country I visited outside Asean is China," he adds. Najib also says that after 35 years of cooperation, when China and Malaysia work in partnership, the result shows that both countries can maintain harmony and stability in the region and further the dynamic economic development which benefits their communities and the world, adding that the challenges are continuing and the work is never completed. "In this era of inter-dependence characterised by globalisation and liberalisation, the world will ask much of us in the years ahead. It is not enough for us to admire one another's strengths, but to take advantage of them for the benefit of all," he says. In one of the selected speeches, Najib says his father made a bold and far-sighted decision 35 years ago that China is very important to Malaysia even though most countries in this region view China with feelings of anxiety and are not comfortable with the Chinese government. At that time, he says, the activities of the Communist Party of Malaya still posed a threat to Malaysia. "I can still remember a phrase said by my late father to me -- 'We can trust the Chinese people," he says. Looking back, he adds, one could see how well the relationship between the two countries has developed, not only in the field of politics, but also in the areas of economy, trade investment, tourism, education, cultural interaction and all other areas concerning Malaysia and China.