On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia, the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC) and MayCham China co-hosted the 11th Liangma Silk Road International Forum in Beijing on Nov 13.

Zhang Hua, Director of the CIYEC, chaired the event that focused on new opportunities for China-Malaysia cooperation in trade in services. Zhang emphasized the CIYEC's dedication to youth exchanges between China and Malaysia, highlighting recent efforts under the China-ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Association framework to foster collaboration in trade, economic development and cultural exchange. He said the center would take the anniversary as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with the Malaysian side, particularly in expanding pragmatic cooperation among young people in areas like trade in services, enriching bilateral youth exchanges with fresh dimensions.

During the thematic presentation session, Unny Sankar Ravi Sankar, Minister of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Malaysia in China, elaborated on Malaysia's favorable policies in the trade in services sector and highlighted emerging opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and Malaysian enterprises. Noting that the service industry accounts for 55 percent of Malaysia's GDP, he introduced the country's strategies to attract high-quality investment, enhance innovation, and create a competitive and open environment for trade in services. The Malaysian side would like to see Chinese enterprises invest in Malaysia to drive common growth and innovation in this sector, he said.

Paul Ramy, a board member of MayCham China, presented the current landscape and trends of cooperation in trade in services between the two countries. He identified digital finance, renewable energy and the culture and tourism sector as future growth drivers thanks to newly implemented facilitation measures. Ramy also proposed greater collaboration between young entrepreneurs in sectors such as renewable energy, intellectual property rights protection and talent development, leveraging free trade agreements to contribute youthful vitality to pragmatic cooperation between the two sides.

Yuan Bo, Director of the Asian Studies Department at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, introduced the service trade rules under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) framework and explored future areas for bilateral cooperation. She said RCEP's implementation offers fresh opportunities for collaboration in trade in services by reducing trade barriers, improving transparency and enhancing market access for businesses from both nations. Yuan urged entrepreneurs to seize these opportunities to deepen cooperation and explore new regional market possibilities.

During the interactive session, young entrepreneurs from both countries discussed various topics, including the import and export of tropical agricultural products and medical devices, China-Malaysia industrial park collaboration, compliance for overseas businesses and localization of foreign enterprises.

President of MayCham China Loh Wee Keng, and head of Economical Cooperation Department of CIYEC attended the event, alongside more than 30 young entrepreneurs from China and Malaysia.