(ECNS)——The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has played an important role in global cooperation and demonstrated the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win results, said Dato Abdul Majid, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association during an exclusive interview with China News Network recently. 

Speaking highly of the benefits of the BRI, Majid, also former Malaysian ambassador to China, expected that Malaysia and China would continue working together in the future. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. Over the past decade, most countries have learned the importance of the BRI, and the visions have been put into action, said Majid. "There are many projects that have been actually completed, which involve in harbors, hospitals. And that is shown to be beneficial to both China and other BRI countries." 

As of the end of June 2023, China had signed more than 200 documents on jointly building the BRI with 152 countries and 32 international organizations. The areas of cooperation cover trade, investment, finance, society, e-commerce, science and technology, etc. 

In the interview, Majid mentioned the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a key project of the BRI jointly built by China and Malaysia. In March 2023, organized by the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, the Malaysian Friends of the Silk Road Club went to Kota Baru to inspect the construction of the project.“They are happy to see the progress,” said Majid. 

He also noted that the ECRL will be a game changer after completion,“ This infrastructure project will link up the less-developed east coast of Malaysia with the west coast. People are very eager to see an early completion.”

Besides, Majid said he noticed that the BRI is a very important component in filling the gap of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development regarding the environment and sustainability, which plays an important role in global cooperation and demonstrates the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win results. 

"China is also very active in promoting renewable energy. As we move forward, these technologies will be a very important part of the BRI." said Majid. "I think China is ready to supplement the infrastructure with all these new technologies, which then can help most countries to achieve the Paris Agreement goal." 

At the end of the interview, Majid pointed out that the Malaysia-China relations have a very solid foundation. "Malaysia supports many of China's initiatives. We are one of the first countries that have supported the BRI and now are benefiting from big projects of it." 

Next year, Malaysia and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Majid said that he's looking forward to showcasing the achievements that have been made in the past and that the two countries will continue working together in the future.

"We will continue to build upon this, both at the bilateral level and many of the initiatives that China has put forward," said Majid.