ANKARA

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a three-day state visit to Malaysia next week, officials in Kuala Lumpur said.

The trip came as Xi pledged to strengthen ties with neighboring nations.

Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said the visit is part of the Malaysian government’s ongoing efforts to diversify its trade relations with various countries, the state-run Bernama news agency reported.

This will be the first visit of the Chinese president to Malaysia since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took office in 2022. The two met in Beijing last November.

Xi's trip to Kuala Lumpur assumes significance as Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is China's largest trade partner and the two sides are holding discussions to conclude a code of conduct on the disputed South China Sea.

The visit came after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on more than 180 countries, including 104% on China and 24% on Malaysia, which is Southeast Asia's third-largest economy.

Earlier, Xi vowed to strengthen ties with neighboring nations, including "appropriately" managing differences with them. Beijing has conflicting maritime claims with several ASEAN member nations, including Malaysia.

His three-day trip beginning April 15 is seen as part of China’s efforts to solidify its economic and diplomatic foothold in the region.

Before flying to Malaysia, the Chinese president is expected to visit Vietnam and after concluding his trip to Kuala Lumpur, he is expected to visit Cambodia, according to media reports.

China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner since 2009.