Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi leaves for a five-day visit to China on Thursday for talks aimed at strengthening political and trade ties with the emerging economic superpower, officials said.

Abdullah, who heads a delegation including nine senior ministers and 100 industry leaders, earlier called for the establishment of an East Asian community to seek closer integration with China.

He is due to meet with Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao and will also pay a courtesy call on President Hu Jintao during his trip, which will also take him to the business hub of Shanghai.

Malaysia is China's largest trading partner in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Last year bilateral trade totaled US$13.25 billion compared to just US$402 million in 1980.

Analysts described Abdullah's trip, part of events to mark the 30th anniversary of Malaysia-China bilateral relations, as timely.

"We cannot ignore China. It is becoming a consumer market, attracting foreign direct investment and also is now a foreign investor," Paul Low, vice-president of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers told AFP .

"It is a rising economic powerhouse which will benefit the region. It is good to enhance political and economic ties with China," he said.

China is the world's third largest trading nation after Japan and the United States.

Better opportunites

"The visit should pave the way for better business opportunites for Malaysian businessmen," Azrul Azwar, economist with MIDF Sisma Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Azrul said Malaysian businessmen could pitch for more Chinese tourists since some 500,000 Chinese visited Malaysia last year.

Malaysia has also said it hopes to cooperate with China in new technological fields such as in bio-technology and in information and communication technology.

In Beijing, Abdullah, who is also the finance minister, will launch an exhibition by Malaysian companies and deliver a speech at the Malaysia-China business dialogue session. In Shanghai he will meet international bankers and participate in a business gathering.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said bilateral issues, regional and global developments would dominate talks when Abdullah meets the Chinese leaders.

Abdullah would reiterate Malaysia's "one-China policy," and discuss how China could boost cooperation with Asean, he said.

Syed Hamid said a string of Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) would be inked by the two governments to train diplomats, to enhance trade and to cooperate in the scientific field.

This year has been declared as the Sino-Malaysia Friendship Year to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic ties on May 31, 1974.

But ties go back as far as the 15th Century when Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho arrived in southern Malacca state to trade. - AFP