Malaysia to welcome Chinese president today

2009/11/10

PUTRAJAYA: Several memorandums of understanding will be signed between Malaysian and Chinese parties during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit here beginning today.

This was confirmed by Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Anifah Aman.

He was tight-lipped about details but market talk is that the Chinese government will seal a deal for a 10 per cent stake in plantation company Sime Darby.

The Chinese president and his wife, Liu Yongqing, will be officially welcomed at Parliament House in the afternoon before meeting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Hu and Liu will attend a banquet hosted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin tonight.

This is Hu's second visit to Malaysia. He was first here in 2005, when he was the republic's vice-president.

"This signals a warm and excellent relationship which is getting stronger," Anifah said at a press conference yesterday.

The Chinese president is being accompanied by a 140-strong delegation, which will attend the Apec summit in Singapore.