As one of the ASEAN countries with the closest economic and cultural ties with China, Malaysia has maintained strong diplomatic relations with China. In 2024, the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and signed a "Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and Malaysia on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership towards China-Malaysia Community with a Shared Future", elevating their bilateral relations to a new level.

The 2025 Chinese government's work report proposed efforts to "stabilize foreign trade development" and "strive for solid progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation." In light of these topics, the Yangcheng Evening News interviewed Danny Wong Tze Ken, an academician of the Malaysian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Professor of History at the University of Malaya.

The prosperity of Malaysia today is inseparable from the contributions of the Chinese community

Yangcheng Evening News: The Chinese community is a significant ethnic group in Malaysia. Could you briefly introduce their historical journey and contributions to the country's development?

Danny Wong Tze Ken: Malaysia's interactions with China can be traced back to the Yuan and Ming dynasties or even earlier. The prosperity Malaysia enjoys today owes much to the contributions of the Chinese community. In the early 19th century, a large number of Cantonese laborers and merchants arrived in Malaya to work in tin mines. Additionally, many craftsmen, such as ceramic artisans from Chaozhou and Foshan in Guangdong, migrated southward. Later, five prominent Chinese Kapitans (leaders of the Chinese community) in Malaysian history all originated from Guangdong, the most famous being Yap Ah Loy, who led the reconstruction of Kuala Lumpur after the Selangor Civil War.

Yangcheng Evening News: How has the historical connection between Malaysian Chinese and Guangdong laid the foundation for bilateral cooperation and exchanges?

Danny Wong Tze Ken: Cantonese cuisine is extremely popular in Malaysia, and Malaysian Chinese enjoy various Cantonese dishes daily. Malaysia has a well-established Chinese education system, and the vast majority of Malaysian Chinese can speak Chinese. The tradition of the Guangdong Lion Dance has been well preserved in Malaysia, even evolving into a unique local style. Currently, China and Malaysia are jointly applying for the lion dance to be recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The strong cultural ties between Malaysia and Guangdong stem from their shared identity, fostering a deep sense of connection between Malaysian Chinese and Guangdong, as well as between the broader Chinese community and Guangdong.

Guangdong has always had an advantage in cooperating with Malaysia

Yangcheng Evening News: You have conducted extensive research on China-Malaysia Belt and Road (B&R) cooperation. Could you provide a brief overview of its progress?

Danny Wong Tze Ken: Since the launch of the B&R cooperation between China and Malaysia, investment between the two countries has grown significantly. Chinese enterprises have provided job opportunities for young talents in Malaysia, particularly by expanding the number of professionally trained personnel, which has stimulated Malaysia's economic and employment growth. It is estimated that around 150,000 Chinese nationals (excluding Malaysian Chinese) are currently living and working in Malaysia. Additionally, an increasing number of Chinese students are choosing to study in Malaysia. At the University of Malaya, where I work, there are 7,000 international students, nearly 5,000 of whom are from China.

Yangcheng Evening News: Guangdong is a major consumer market in China. How can Malaysia leverage this to boost economic exchanges and its own development?

Danny Wong Tze Ken: Malaysians view Guangdong as one of the best business destinations in China. The Canton Fair is an event that Malaysian companies always attend. Guangdong and Malaysia each have their own strengths. For example, Guangdong excels in technological innovation, and Malaysia can strengthen its collaboration with Guangzhou and Shenzhen in this field. Meanwhile, Guangdong can utilize Malaysia as a gateway to overseas markets. By focusing on their respective advantages, both sides can maximize the effectiveness of their cooperation.

Source:Lingnan on the Cloud

马来亚大学人文与社会科学学院院长、历史系教授黄子坚：

中国企业的投资刺激了马来西亚的就业和经济

作为东盟国家中与中国经贸、人文交往最密切的国家之一，马来西亚一直与中国保持良好的外交关系。2024年，两国庆祝建交50周年，签署了“深化提升全面战略伙伴关系、推动共建中马命运共同体”的联合声明，将中马关系提升到一个新的层级。

2025年政府工作报告提出，要“稳定对外贸易发展”“推动高质量共建‘一带一路’走深走实”。羊城晚报记者就相关话题采访了马来西亚科学院院士、马来亚大学人文与社会科学学院院长、历史系教授黄子坚。

马来西亚今日繁荣，离不开华人的贡献

羊城晚报：在马来西亚，华人是一个非常重要的族群。您能否简单介绍一下华人在马来西亚奋斗的历史，在马来西亚历史上，华人作出过哪些贡献？

黄子坚：马来西亚与中国的交往可以追溯到元朝、明朝甚至更早。马来西亚今天的繁荣，离不开华人社区的贡献。19世纪初，大批广东劳工以及商人来到马来亚的锡矿工作。同时还有大量工匠南下，比如陶瓷匠人，大多是来自广东潮州和佛山地区的移民。后来，马来西亚历史上五位著名华人甲必丹（华人社区的领袖）全都来自广东省，其中最著名的是叶亚来，他带领当地人在雪兰莪内战后重建了吉隆坡。

羊城晚报：马来西亚华人与广东的历史渊源，给两国的合作与交流奠定了怎样的基础？

黄子坚：在马来西亚，粤菜非常有名。马来西亚华人每天都在吃各种粤式美食。马来西亚保留了完善的华文教育体系，绝大部分马来西亚华人都可以说中文。广东醒狮在马来西亚有很好的传承，并且发展出了有马来西亚特色的舞狮表演。目前，中国和马来西亚正在推动舞狮申报联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产。马来西亚和广东省的这种联系源于文化认同，这种凝聚力非常强大，存在于马来西亚华人与广东之间，华人群体与广东之间。

与马来西亚的合作，广东一直有优势

羊城晚报：您对于中马共建“一带一路”的进展也有深入研究，能简单介绍一下？

黄子坚：当两国共建“一带一路”启动后，双方的投资额显著增长。中国企业为马来西亚年轻人才提供就业机会，尤其是扩大了受过专业培训的人才数量，刺激了马来西亚经济和就业市场的发展。保守估计现在可能有15万中国人（并非马来西亚籍华人）生活、工作在马来西亚。越来越多中国学生到马来西亚留学，比如我所在的马来亚大学，共有7000名国际学生，其中近5000名来自中国。

羊城晚报：广东是中国重要的消费市场，马来西亚如何利用这一点，促进两地的经贸往来以及自身发展？

黄子坚：马来西亚人都视广东为中国最佳的营商目的地之一。广交会是马来西亚企业一定会参加的展会。广东省和马来西亚有各自的优势。比如，广东的科技创新能力很强，马来西亚可以跟广州、深圳加强科技领域的合作。广东也可以把马来西亚作为走向海外市场的一个中转站。双方在各自擅长的领域深耕，发挥更大的合作效果。

文｜记者 曾潇、赵鹏
翻译｜曾敏
审校｜肖凯欣