China’s premier gets a red-carpet welcome as he begins visit in Malaysia

Published June 17, 2024 7:56 PM

By EILEEN NG and ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang has received a red-carpet welcome in Malaysia on the last leg of a regional tour. Li will celebrate a half-century of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Malaysia since 2015. He flew in on Tuesday on an Air China jet from Australia and inspected a guard of honor. Li’s schedule during his three-day visit includes talks with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a China-backed rail link project. Li last week became the first Chinese premier to visit New Zealand then Australia in seven years. He ended his Australian tour earlier Tuesday in the west coast city of Perth.