Xi says ready to work with Trump to build solid foundation for bilateral ties

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang JBy Xinhuaingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that he is ready to continue working with U.S. President Donald Trump to build a solid foundation for bilateral ties, and create a sound atmosphere for the development of both countries.

In a meeting with Trump, Xi said under their joint guidance, China-U.S. relations have remained stable on the whole.

"China and the United States should be partners and friends. That is what history has taught us and what reality needs," he said.

Given different national conditions, the two sides do not always see eye to eye with each other, and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then, Xi added.

"You and I are at the helm of China-U.S. relations," said Xi. "In the face of winds, waves and challenges, we should stay the right course, navigate through the complex landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations."

Xi said that there is a good momentum in China's economic development, adding that in the first three quarters of this year, China's economy increased by 5.2 percent, and import and export trade in goods with the rest of the world expanded by 4 percent.

This is not an easy accomplishment given the domestic and external difficulties, Xi noted, adding that the Chinese economy is like a vast ocean, big, resilient and promising.

"We have the confidence and capability to navigate all kinds of risks and challenges," Xi added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

At its fourth plenary session, the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated over and adopted the recommendations for the economic and social development plan over the next five years, Xi said.

"Over the past seven decades and more, we have been working from generation to generation on the same blueprint to make it a reality. We have no intention to challenge or supplant anyone. Our focus has always been on managing China's own affairs well, improving ourselves, and sharing development opportunities with all countries across the world," he added.

Describing that as an important secret to China's success, Xi said China will further deepen reform across the board, expand opening up, and promote higher-quality economic growth while achieving an appropriate increase in economic output, and advance well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all, adding that this will also expand the space for cooperation between China and the United States.

Xi noted that the two countries' economic and trade teams had an in-depth exchange of views on important economic and trade issues, and reached consensus on solving various issues.

He called on the two teams to work out and finalize the follow-up steps as soon as possible, and ensure that the common understandings are effectively upheld and implemented, to inject confidence into the two countries as well as the global economy through solid deliverables.

China-U.S. economic and trade relations have experienced ups and downs recently, and this has also given the two sides some insights, Xi noted.

The business relationship, Xi said, should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for China-U.S. relations, not a stumbling block or a point of friction. 

The two sides should think big and recognize the long-term benefit of cooperation, and must not fall into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation, he added, calling on the two teams to continue their talks in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, and continuously shorten the list of problems and lengthen the list of cooperation.

Dialogue is better than confrontation, Xi said, adding that China and the United States should maintain communication through various channels and at various levels to enhance mutual understanding.

There is good potential for the two countries to work together on combating illegal immigration and telecom fraud, anti-money laundering, artificial intelligence, and responding to infectious diseases, he added.

The competent departments should strengthen dialogue and exchanges and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two countries should also engage in positive interactions on regional and international platforms.

"The world today is confronted with many tough problems. China and the United States can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries, and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world," he added.

China will host APEC 2026, and the United States the G20 summit next year, Xi noted.

The two sides can support each other in making both summits productive to promote world economic growth and improve global economic governance, he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Noting that it was a great honor to meet with Xi, Trump said China is a great country and President Xi is a well respected great leader, with whom he has been good friends for many years and has always got along well.

The United States and China have always had a fantastic relationship, and it will be even better, said Trump, voicing his hope for an even better future for both China and the United States.

China is the biggest partner of the United States, and with joint efforts, the two countries can get many great things done for the world and have many years of success, said Trump.

China will host the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, while the United States will host the G20 Summit next year, said Trump, wishing both sides every success in these important events.

The two presidents have agreed to enhance cooperation in economic, trade, energy and other fields and to encourage more people-to-people exchanges.

They have also agreed to maintain interactions on a regular basis. Trump looked forward to visiting China early next year, and invited President Xi to visit the United States.

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Malaysia's Disposable income rises nationwide to RM7,584

 

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s average disposable household income rose by 3.2% to RM7,584 in 2024, according to the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2024 Report.

“In terms of disposable income, the average monthly disposable household income increased by 3.2% to RM7,584 in 2024, while the median rose 5.1% to RM5,999. This represents 82.8% of total gross household income, indicating households’ ability to meet essential expenditure needs,” the report stated.

The report also highlighted that this rise in disposable income was accompanied by a gradual improvement in income distribution.

“Households in the Bottom 40 (B40) group, comprising 3.28 million households, had income of up to RM5,858,” according to the report, which was released yesterday.  

The report comprises 33 official statistical publications, presenting comprehensive findings and analyses of the country’s socioeconomic landscape from the perspective of household income and expenditure.

It also noted that the median household income in Malaysia reached RM7,017 in 2024, growing by 5.1% annually, while the mean household income rose by 3.8% to RM9,155.

Income growth varied by state, reflecting diverse economic conditions, the report added.

Six states recorded median household incomes above the national level, with Kuala Lumpur at RM10,802, followed by Putrajaya (RM10,769), Selangor (RM10,726), Johor (RM7,712), Penang (RM7,386) and Labuan (RM7,383).

“Penang recorded the highest annual growth rate at 6.4% between 2022 and 2024,” the report stated.

The report also noted that the B40 group’s share of total national income rose slightly to 16.7%, up from 16.3% in 2022.

In contrast, the Top 20% (T20), who earned RM12,680 and above per month, saw their share decline to 45.1%, down from 46.3%. The Middle 40% (M40), earning between RM5,860 and RM12,679, made up a significant portion of the remaining income share.

At the event, Economy Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan described HIES in his keynote address as a vital statistical instrument for measuring progress and improving the socio-economic status of Malaysian households.

“It is one of the main sources for shaping the country’s socio-economic and social policies, including poverty eradication programmes, increasing income, reducing income inequality, and addressing the cost of living,” he explained.

Amir Hamzah added that Malaysia has achieved a major milestone, with hardcore poverty nearly eradicated and reduced to just 0.09%.

“This reflects the effectiveness of various initiatives to increase people’s income, empower urban communities economically, and enhance public well-being, all of which will be continued by the government,” he said.

The Gini coefficient improved to 0.390 in 2024, compared to 0.404 in 2022, signalling a narrowing of income inequality.

The national absolute poverty incidence decreased from 6.2% in 2022 to 5.1% in 2024, representing about 416,000 households.

“Poverty in urban areas declined to 3.7%, while poverty in rural areas improved to 12%,” the report noted.

“The hardcore poverty incidence dropped to 0.09%, equivalent to fewer than 8,000 households earning below the Food Poverty Line Income (PLI),” it added

Experts: Rising cost of living dampens income gains

The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my › nation › 2025/10/09 › ex...

 — According to the Statistics Department (DOSM), the average monthly disposable household income increased by 3.2% to RM7,584 in 2024, while the .

All routes lead to China

 

After a US$1 trillion investment, the e has evolved into a global infrastructure and economic strategy involving more than 150 countries.

Two months ago, China inaugurated a new train service that adopts a sea-road-rail intermodal approach, reducing the transit time to about 18 days for about 4,300km – more than a 50% increase in efficiency – and notably avoids passing through the Strait of Malacca.

Its full name, the “Zheng He” Sea-road-rail International Multimodal Transport Service, departs from Kunming, carrying 26 containers of Yunnan specialities, including vegetables, fertilisers and animal feed. It then traverses the China-laos Railway to Vientiane, Laos, and then divides into three routes to complete the transportation.

Route one transfers to the Thai railway network to reach Changwat Saraburi in Thailand, route two connects to road transport to Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, followed by sea freight to Singapore.

And route three connects to road transport to Ranong Port in Thailand, then by sea to Yangon Port in Myanmar, and thence by sea to Chittagong Port in Bangladesh.

Named after the renowned navigator Zheng He, a favourite son of Kunming, this amazing feat of engineering has opened up goods from the mainland and Yunnan specifically to new markets, saving costs and resources.

One of these new markets could potentially be Malaysia.

With China being Asean’s largest trading partner, Malaysia’s geographical position makes it a crucial node for the Maritime Silk Road, with its ports and infrastructure playing a pivotal role in regional connectivity and trade.

A key BRI initiative is the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a massive infrastructure project connecting the east and west coasts of the peninsula with 20 stations along its route.

Construction work for the 665km railway project has reached 86% completion as of July, despite several hiccups and challenges throughout its development and implementation phases. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Aimed at improving connectivity and stimulating economic development, the project traversing Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor is set to be an economic game changer, especially in boosting Malaysia’s transportation network.

Travel time between Kota Baru and the Klang Valley is anticipated to be around four hours, compared to seven hours or more by road during festive seasons.

In March, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the ECRL will serve as a catalyst for socioeconomic growth and is expected to increase the country’s GDP by 3.78% by 2047. - 

In April, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority said the ECRL is anticipated to generate RM1.4 trillion for Malaysia’s economy by 2047 with a focus on industrial parks, logistics hubs and transit-oriented developments.

The numbers quoted are impressive, but for the ECRL to truly be effective, there must be a further rail connection with the Thai rail network.

There has been talk of extending the ECRL from Kota Baru to the Sungai Golok border in Thailand to create a seamless connection. This in turn can ensure a transfer of goods from Yunnan and vice versa.

While talks are ongoing between the Thai and Malaysian governments, there are obstacles in the way. Flood risks in the low lying Rantau Panjang stretch is a worry, as is track compatibility because the ECRL uses a standard gauge (1.435m wide), while the State Railway of Thailand uses a 1m gauge.

Technical issues aside, there is political consensus to see the connection happen and it would stimulate trade between the two countries.

As the BRI evolves, it is prompting discussion and debate as to its optimal scale, design, benefits and impact. What cannot be denied is that this initiative continues to be a significant geopolitical force, with its influence on regional and global development being recognised worldwide.

This is no longer a speculative blueprint; it is the largest modern infrastructure initiative in human history. - by ),Brian Martin,

The evolution of Malaysian foreign policy

Kuala Lumpur once prized non-alignment above all else – now it sees Beijing as more reliable than lectures from the West.- Murni Abdul Hamid

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a parade for Malaysian Independence Day celebrations last month in Putrajaya, Malaysia (Syaiful Redzuan/Anadolu via Getty Images

Malaysia’s approach in navigating great power rivalry since the Cold War has largely been based on the principles of non-alignment, neutralism, and equidistance. However, two contrasting snapshots of the country’s Independence (Merdeka) Day celebration – half a century apart – offer an interesting perspective on whether Malaysia’s contemporary position has shifted away from these principles.

On 31 August 1973, Malaysia’s second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, hastily left the joyous Merdeka celebration midway to depart for Algiers and lead the Malaysian delegation to the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) Summit. It was his first time attending the summit. It had taken several attempts for Malaysia to become a NAM member, largely due to Indonesia’s opposition and influence within the Afro-Asian group during the Konfrontasi period. Malaysia’s experience of Konfrontasi and the retreat of the British from the region pushed the country to seek friends among other newly independent states.

When Malaysia finally became a NAM member in 1970, its foreign policy gradually shifted away from heavy reliance on the United Kingdom toward a more neutral and non-aligned stance. Against this background, Tun Razak strongly felt the need for Malaysia to be represented at the highest level in Algiers to signify the country’s commitment to non-alignment – even if it meant leaving the Merdeka celebration halfway.

Malaysia’s second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak (Bettmann/Getty Images)

Jump forward just over 50 years to 31 August 2025, Malaysia’s tenth Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, left at the conclusion of the nation’s Merdeka celebration to immediately depart for China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. It was the first time Malaysia had participated in the SCO, in which Malaysia is neither a member nor an observer. It was also the first time a Malaysian leader attended China’s “Victory Parade” in Beijing, which this year took place a few days later, to commemorate the end of the Second World War, alongside other leaders including from Russia, North Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Iran.

Since becoming Prime Minister in late 2022, Anwar has visited China four times, with China’s President and Premier reciprocating accordingly (also a total of four times if including the upcoming ASEAN Summit and other meetings next month).

While China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009, relations with China have further intensified in recent years both bilaterally and multilaterally. These include Malaysia’s active involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP). Stronger ties also extend to decisions to allow Chinese companies to develop the country’s second 5G network and to revitalise Malaysia’s national car industry, the recent acceptance of China’s vision of building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, and the landmark creation of a bilateral mechanism with China to discuss maritime issues. Malaysia’s decision to join BRICS, and the initiative to bring in China into the ASEAN-GCC platform by hosting the first-ever ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur, also illustrate the depth of relations.

The actions of the great powers leave little room for Malaysia to manoeuvre, and siding with the more predictable and reliable power seems to be the less risky option.

While Malaysia’s intensification of cooperation with China should not be viewed as a zero-sum game, it is hard to ignore that this occurred against the backdrop of deteriorating relations with the United States. From the perspective of Malaysian leaders, the more benign power and trusted partner today is not the United States, but China. This, in spite of several challenges, particularly in the South China Sea.

In Anwar’s speech during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia earlier this year, he praised China as a rational, steady, and reliable partner amid the turbulence of “economic tribalism” and threats to multilateralism and the rules-based order. Last year, when Anwar spoke off-the-cuff at a business luncheon in honour of Premier Li Qiang in Kuala Lumpur, he commended the attitude of the Chinese leadership as “friendly, courteous, full of respect, [and] understanding of cultures and differences”, in contrast to the “narrative from the others” and the “barrage of questions” from others – especially “the western” – on whether Malaysia’s close relations with China would be in Malaysia’s best interest.

Understandably, as an independent nation, no country appreciates being told who it should be friends with, especially when those doing the lecturing neither act as they preach nor have been reliable friends in the first place.

While closer relations with the United States would still serve Malaysia’s interests – particularly in the realms of the economy and defence – they are proving even more elusive under President Donald Trump. His arbitrary tariff impositions, aggressive rhetoric (even against allies), withdrawals from multilateral organisations, disregard for the rule of law, undermining of the global order, and coddling of Israel have been obstacles for Malaysian leaders in promoting closer ties with the United States. Domestically, various opinion polls in recent years have shown a steady decline in Malaysians’ favourable perceptions towards the United States, while favourable views of China and even Russia have increased significantly.

If the above trend persists, Malaysia might find itself moving even further away from its non-aligned, neutral, and equidistant stances that served it well in the past. At present, however, the actions of the great powers leave little room for Malaysia to manoeuvre, and siding with the more predictable and reliable power seems to be the less risky option.

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SCO pushing past US dominance

Russian President Vladimir Putin, from left, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin, China, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Suo Takekuma/Pool Photo via AP)

Xi and Putin rally Global South at Tianjin summit for a multipolar world order

 Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed their vision at a regional summit for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the “Global South”, in a direct challenge to the United States.

Xi was hosting more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries at a two-day summit in the nor­thern Chinese port city of Tianjin of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The SCO must “promote the democratisation of international relations and enhance representation of developing countries,” Xi said in a speech yesterday, adding that at a time of turbulence, “global governance has reached a new crossroads”.

“We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism,” he said in a veiled attack on the current US-dominated world order.

However, Xi did not set out any concrete policies in what he called his “Global Governance Initiative” – the latest in a series of policy frameworks from Beijing that analysts say are mainly geared to promoting China’s global leadership role.

Earlier, Xi pushed for more inclusive economic globalisation amid the upheaval caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, touting the SCO’s “mega-scale market” and vast economic opportunities in fields including energy and science.

Trump’s tariff war has disproportionately affected developing economies such as India, whose exports were hit with a 50% levy last week.

Putin, whose country has forged even closer economic and security ties with China amid the fallout from the Ukraine war, said the SCO had revived “genuine multilateralism”, with national currencies increasingly used in mutual settlements.

“This, in turn, lays the political and socio-economic groundwork for the formation of a new system of stability and security in Eurasia,” Putin said.

“This security system, unlike Euro-centric and Euro-Atlantic models, would genuinely consider the interests of a broad range of countries, be truly balanced, and would not allow one country to ensure its own security at the expense of others.”

Xi called for the creation of a new SCO development bank, in what would be a major step towards the bloc’s long-held aspiration of developing an alternative payment system or common currency that circumvents the US dollar.

Beijing will provide two billion yuan (RM1.18bil) of free aid to member states this year and a further 10 billion yuan (RM5.9bil) of loans to an SCO banking consortium, the Chinese leader said.

China will also build an artificial intelligence cooperation centre for SCO nations, which are also invited to participate in China’s lunar research station, Xi added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting on Sunday, United Nations secretary-­general Anto­nio Guterres said China played a “fundamental” role in upholding global multilateralism.

Others attending the Tianjin summit include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia.

The security-focused SCO, which began as a group of six Eurasian nations, has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years.

Modi was among the leaders from southern and central Asia and the Middle East attending the Tianjin summit.

Beijing has used the summit as an opportunity to mend ties with New Delhi.

Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years, and Xi both agreed on Sunday that their countries are development partners, not rivals, and discussed ways to improve trade ties. — Reuter

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Global power converge in Tianjin: SCO summit 

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, from left, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin, China, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Suo Takekuma/Pool Photo via AP)

 Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed their vision at a regional summit for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the “Global South”, in a direct challenge to the United States.

Xi was hosting more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries at a two-day summit in the nor­thern Chinese port city of Tianjin of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The SCO must “promote the democratisation of international relations and enhance representation of developing countries,” Xi said in a speech yesterday, adding that at a time of turbulence, “global governance has reached a new crossroads”.

“We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism,” he said in a veiled attack on the current US-dominated world order.

However, Xi did not set out any concrete policies in what he called his “Global Governance Initiative” – the latest in a series of policy frameworks from Beijing that analysts say are mainly geared to promoting China’s global leadership role.

Earlier, Xi pushed for more inclusive economic globalisation amid the upheaval caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, touting the SCO’s “mega-scale market” and vast economic opportunities in fields including energy and science.

Trump’s tariff war has disproportionately affected developing economies such as India, whose exports were hit with a 50% levy last week.

Putin, whose country has forged even closer economic and security ties with China amid the fallout from the Ukraine war, said the SCO had revived “genuine multilateralism”, with national currencies increasingly used in mutual settlements.

“This, in turn, lays the political and socio-economic groundwork for the formation of a new system of stability and security in Eurasia,” Putin said.

“This security system, unlike Euro-centric and Euro-Atlantic models, would genuinely consider the interests of a broad range of countries, be truly balanced, and would not allow one country to ensure its own security at the expense of others.”

Xi called for the creation of a new SCO development bank, in what would be a major step towards the bloc’s long-held aspiration of developing an alternative payment system or common currency that circumvents the US dollar.

Beijing will provide two billion yuan (RM1.18bil) of free aid to member states this year and a further 10 billion yuan (RM5.9bil) of loans to an SCO banking consortium, the Chinese leader said.

China will also build an artificial intelligence cooperation centre for SCO nations, which are also invited to participate in China’s lunar research station, Xi added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting on Sunday, United Nations secretary-­general Anto­nio Guterres said China played a “fundamental” role in upholding global multilateralism.

Others attending the Tianjin summit include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia.

The security-focused SCO, which began as a group of six Eurasian nations, has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years.

Modi was among the leaders from southern and central Asia and the Middle East attending the Tianjin summit.

Beijing has used the summit as an opportunity to mend ties with New Delhi.

Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years, and Xi both agreed on Sunday that their countries are development partners, not rivals, and discussed ways to improve trade ties. — Reuter

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Global power converge in Tianjin: SCO summit