China stands ready to step up alignment of development strategies with Malaysia and deepen the Belt and Road cooperation, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on July 18.

Wang made the statement during a meeting with Daim Zainuddin, special envoy for Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who also is a member of the country’s Council of Eminent Persons.

Wang said China is ready to work with the Malaysian side to expand the growth of win-win cooperation and strengthen coordination over international and regional issues to further benefit the two peoples and promote regional prosperity and development.

The two countries are not only comprehensive strategic partners but also partners of pragmatic cooperation, and bilateral relations can withstand the test of any volatilities, Wang said, adding that both countries saw the establishment of new governments not long ago and bilateral relations are now at a new historic starting point.

Daim Zainuddin said that the two countries and the two peoples have a long tradition of friendship, and the new Malaysian government attaches great importance to the relationship with China, adding that Malaysia is in full support to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping.

He added that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad knows about China and has always actively sought to push forward relations with China.

The Malaysian prime minister is looking forward to visiting China soon and holding talks with Chinese leaders over the development of bilateral relations, he said.