?

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian (2nd L, front), Tan Kok Wai (1st R), Malaysian government's special envoy to China, and Malaysia-China Friendship Association President Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan (3rd R) visit the photo exhibition "Striving to Shared Prosperity" in conjunction to mark 45 years of diplomatic relationship between Malaysia and China, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 7, 2019. The exhibition's display of over 100 photos captures key historical and contemporary moments in trade and cultural exchanges and will be open till Friday. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The strong bilateral relationship between Malaysia and China are built on the foundation of trust and mutual understanding, Malaysia-China Friendship Association President Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan said here on Wednesday.

In his keynote speech at the photo exhibition "Striving to Shared Prosperity" in conjunction to mark 45 years of diplomatic relationship between Malaysia and China, Abdul Majid said the growth of China had benefited both countries.

"It has been demonstrated that one of the achievements of the 45 years of collaboration has been the sharing of prosperity between China and Malaysia. This is reflected in the various indices of our economic cooperation today. Our trade, investments and tourism both in terms of value and volume had jumped leaps and bounds compared to the low base in the early years of our relations," he said.

"People-to-people exchanges, particularly in tourism, business and cultural sectors, had seen great strides in the last few years, as air connectivity have expanded significantly. As we move forward, this strong economic foundation can and should be further deepened and expanded."

China and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 1974.

Tan Kok Wai, Malaysian government's special envoy to China, said Malaysia held fast to the principle of friendly exchanges and shared prosperity no matter the international situation, with the relationship of both countries moving from strength to strength.

Tan added that photo exhibitions played a critical role in preserving the past and helping new generations understand the difficulties and triumphs both countries have faced and enjoyed as they climb to greater heights.

"I hope that through this photo exhibition, the Malaysian people will have a better understanding of the friendly relations between Malaysia and China, and it is also a public diplomacy for Malaysia and China. Communicate with the people and lay a solid foundation," he said.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian said the economic and trade cooperation between Malaysia and China has benefited the people of the two countries.

The bilateral trade volume grew from less than 200 million U.S. dollars 45 years ago to the record high 108.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, as China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for the past decade, he said.

In the investment sector, Bai pointed out that the Chinese companies are increasingly choosing Malaysia as their top investment destination, with cooperation blossoming in areas like industrial parks, manufacturing, finance, information technology and digital economy.

The exhibition's display of over 100 photos captures key historical and contemporary moments in trade and cultural exchanges and will be open till Friday.