KUALA LUMPUR: The cooperation between Malaysia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative will get a further boost with MCA's newly launched Belt and Road 2.0.  

The newly launched MCA Belt and Road 2.0 initiative is built on five strategies - business transformation and young startups, SME Go-Global, trade and investment promotion platform, Belt and Road policy coordination platform, education and training.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said MCA was the first political party from abroad to respond to the Belt and Road initiative.

"For MCA Belt and Road 1.0, we laid the foundation, (such as) the infrastructure and got the support of the Chinese community and businessmen.

"Seeing the good response, we now push for 2.0. Especially with the new Chinese leadership, there is more commitment to buy more products from the Belt and Road countries," he said in his speech here Friday (Feb 9), adding that Malaysia needs to seize such an opportunity.

Liow also criticised Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the former prime minister's criticism of the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park by implying that the country's sovereign rights have been given up to China.

"This is all propaganda to confuse the rakyat," said Liow.

Also present at the launch were Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Hou Kok Chung and MCA Belt and Road Centre chairman Datuk Seri Chuah Poh Khiang.

In his speech, Bai Tian said the participating countries of the Belt and Road Initiative were able to head towards the direction of shared development, progress, safety and prosperity.

He commended MCA's efforts in promoting the initiative and thanked Malaysia for being one of the earliest to cooperate with China.