Malaysia wants to boost economic, investment cooperation with Japan

BANGI, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia wants to further enhance economic, investment and trade cooperation with Japan in conjunction with its participation in the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who is leaving for Tokyo on Friday, said he would meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in conjunction with the summit from Dec 16 to 18, which is being organised as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

“The discussions will definitely be about boosting cooperation in economy, investment and trade with Japan,” he told reporters here Friday.

For eight successive years since 2015, Japan has been Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner. In 2022, trade with Japan was valued at US$4.21 billion, contributing 6.4 per cent to Malaysia’s total trade.

As of June 2023, a total of 2,778 projects by Japanese companies have been implemented in Malaysia, with investments amounting to US$27.43 billion.

Themed Golden Friendship, Golden Opportunities, the summit provides an opportunity to reflect on the past 50 years of cooperation and chart a course for the future, ensuring that ASEAN and Japan can continue to prosper together in the coming decades.

-- BERNAMA