KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin said there is big potential for Malaysia-China cooperation to be taken to a new level and contributing more to regional peace and stability.

The King said the two countries had established strategic partnership in various fields covering trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, education, and science and technology.

"The maturity of bilateral relations between the two nations has been accompanied by positive development in various sectors, including cooperation at the highest level and interaction between our peoples, forming a strong foundation for the Joint Strategic Plan between the Malaysian and Chinese governments with focus on 12 strategic areas."

Tuanku Mizan said this at a state banquet at Istana Negara tonight in honour of China President Hu Jintao who is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia.

Also present were Hu's wife Liu Yongqing, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Hu and his wife, arrived here this afternoon, to reciprocate the state visit to China by Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail in 2005 when he was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and Tuanku Mizan attending the official opening of the Beijing Olympics in August last year.

This is Hu's second visit to Malaysia after having visited the country as China vice-president in May 2002.

Tuanku Mizan was confident that with the existing spirit of solidarity and understanding between the two countries and exchange of visits at the highest level and between the people of both countries, Malaysia-China bilateral relations would continue to grow in strength.

The King said he was also proud that this year is the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China, and in fact Malaysia was the first ASEAN country to have established such ties with China.

Tuanku Mizan said Hu's visit was most meaningful and important as it was the third time that China's head of state had officially visited Malaysia in the history of Malaysia-China relations.

The King said Malaysia and China also shared similar views on various regional and international issues, and both countries had cooperated at several international forums to ensure the interests Malaysia and China and that of other developing countries were safeguarded.

Meanwhile, Hu said "Malaysia is a friendly neighbour of China and people of the two countries enjoy time-honoured friendship."

He said in the past 35 years since China and Malaysia established diplomatic ties, the two countries had witnessed fast growth of the bilateral relationship as evidenced by regular exchange of high-level visits, close people-to-people ties and fruitful cooperation in all fields.

"As developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, China and Malaysia share extensive common interests. The close China-Malaysia strategic cooperation serves the fundamental interests of our nations and peoples, and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the region," he added.

He also said that the visit by Najib to China in June had strengthened mutually beneficial cooperation and taken China-Malaysia strategic cooperation to a new level.

Tomorrow morning, the Chinese President will have a meeting with Najib at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya. Several memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during the meeting, followed by a joint press conference by the two leaders.

Meanwhile, Hu's wife will have a separate programme. Hu will attend a luncheon hosted by Najib at Shangri-la Hotel in Kuala Lumpur before visiting Melaka.

Hu and his wife are scheduled to depart for Singapore from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 4.30 p.m. tomorrow.