Putrajaya plans to relax the entry requirements for Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia in time for Visit Malaysia 2020, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said.

“Next year, we will celebrate the year of tourism and culture.

“We’ve seen a steady number of tourists exchanged between us (Malaysia and China).

“I’m pleased to announce that the government of Malaysia is working towards the relaxation of some entry requirements for Chinese tourists.

“We are working closely with the Home Ministry and a formal announcement will be made soon,” Saifuddin said yesterday, as reported by The Star.

He said this when attending a celebration of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Saifuddin also said that the 45 years of strong relations between Malaysia and China were the reason why they could handle issues such as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).

“Our relations are based on a spirit of friendliness, shared benefits, civilisational manpower and this is why we are able to resolve and navigate around issues like the ECRL,” he said.

Malaysia and China have hundreds of years of history shared between them, Saifuddin said, and they look forward to another hundred years of strong relations in the future.

Both countries, he said, are now focusing on industries of the future such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

“So, on the one hand, our relations are historically based on civilisation, but now our relations are moving forward not only in terms of enhancing trade, but also looking at the industries of the future,” he said.