On January 5, 2026, a high-level meeting on the future of infrastructure cooperation between China and Malaysia was taking place at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The atmosphere at the meeting was warm, and the two sides reached important consensus on promoting the in-depth docking of the the Belt and Road Initiative with Malaysia's Changming Malaysia governance concept and the 13th Malaysia Plan.

Anwar expressed his appreciation for the long-term contribution of CCCC to Malaysia's economic and social development, and especially mentioned that the Malaysia East Railway project under construction, as the flagship project of high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road between the two countries, is of great significance to promoting the economic integration and development of the regions along the line.

China and Malaysia jointly build the flagship project of the the Belt and Road

The Malaysia East Rail project has a total length of about 665 kilometers and is one of the largest single transportation infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese companies overseas. It is designed with passenger trains running at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour and freight trains running at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. After completion, it will connect the four states of Malaysia and become a "land bridge" connecting the east and west coasts of the Malay Peninsula.

Since its commencement, the project has created over 18000 job opportunities and collaborated with more than 1900 local enterprises, greatly enhancing the connectivity level of the areas along the route. During his inspection of the track laying site, Malaysian Minister of Transport, Lu Zhaofu, stated that the advanced track laying equipment imported from China has greatly improved the efficiency of railway construction, and it is expected that 1.5 kilometers of railway can be laid every day.

Anwar emphasized that the Ma Dong Railway project is not only a railway infrastructure project, but also a national strategic initiative and a symbol of cooperation and friendship between Malaysia and China. After the project is put into operation, the travel time from Kelantan to Selangor will be shortened from 8 hours to 4 hours, which will effectively promote the development of manufacturing, tourism and other industries in the East Coast region.

The 13th Malaysia Plan

The Malaysian government proposed the 13th Malaysia Plan to Parliament in July 2025, with a total investment of approximately MYR 611 billion, to promote the country's economy from a traditional consumer oriented to a technology and innovation driven "value creation economy". Among them, the national treasury allocated about 430 billion Malaysian Ringgit, government affiliated companies invested about 120 billion Malaysian Ringgit, and private capital was introduced through a public-private partnership model of about 61 billion Malaysian Ringgit.

The plan focuses on key directions such as improving transportation infrastructure networks, promoting the coordinated development of green economy and digital economy. Its goals include delivering 95% of government services online nationwide by 2030, increasing private investment by an average of 6% annually, raising employee salaries to 40% of GDP, and promoting Malaysia to become one of the top 30 economies in the world.

Anwar stated during the meeting that the Malaysian government is currently advancing the 13th Malaysia Plan and hopes that CCCC will continue to leverage its comprehensive advantages in the entire industry chain, deeply participate in the construction of key projects in Malaysia, continuously expand cooperation dimensions and innovate cooperation models, and promote more landmark achievements in practical cooperation between Malaysia and China.

Deeply cultivate Malaysia's strategic layout

As a leading global enterprise in infrastructure and urban construction, China Communications Construction Group has long been deeply involved in the Malaysian market and has created a number of iconic projects in transportation infrastructure, urban renewal, and other fields. Malaysia has superior geographical advantages and enormous development potential, making it an important strategic country market for China Communications Group's overseas business layout.

During the meeting, Song Hailiang stated that China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) will resolutely implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, adhere to the principle of "Malaysia has needs, CCCC has advantages, both sides have consensus, both sides have aspirations, and cooperation has win-win outcomes", actively connect with the needs of the 13th Malaysia Plan, and expand cooperation space in areas such as transportation infrastructure upgrading, new energy industry development, urban renewal, green transformation, and digital intelligence empowerment.

China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) will leverage its integrated, comprehensive, and integrated system advantages in the fields of full transportation, full city, full water area, full green, full digital, big overseas, big equipment, big industry, big integration, technology innovation, comprehensive transportation, new quality infrastructure, global leadership, and integrated development, and carry out higher-level and wider range practical cooperation with Malaysia.

This high-level meeting is taking place at a time when the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia continues to deepen. In June 2024, the governments of China and Malaysia issued a joint statement agreeing to deepen and enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership, jointly build a China Malaysia community of shared future, and establish a solid platform for cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. Keywords: international news, Southeast Asian information, macro news

With the deep connection between the the Belt and Road Initiative and Malaysia's 13th Malaysia Plan, the layout of China Communications Group in Malaysia will be further deepened. From the Ma Dong Railway project to future cooperation in areas such as transportation infrastructure, new energy, and digital economy, China and Malaysia are working together to create a new picture of interconnected infrastructure, contributing wisdom and strength to building a closer China Malaysia community with a shared future.Editor/Yang Meiling