PUTRAJAYA: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak witnessed the signing of eight agreements between the two countries on Thursday.
The agreements include a mutual recognition of higher education qualifications, a memorandum of understanding on resolving traffic congestion on Penang island between the state government and Beijing Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd and a joint venture between Smelter Asia Sdn Bhd and Aluminium Corporation of China Ltd.
Wen is accompanied by a 118-member delegation, including four ministers.
The premier was accorded an official welcoming ceremony at Dataran Perdana Thursday.
After the national anthems of both countries were played, Wen inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by a detachment of the Royal Malay Regiment witnessed by most of the Federal Cabinet.
The two premiers then went in for their meeting.
Earlier, Wen spent some time meeting China nationals living in Malaysia, as well as those from the Malaysian Chinese community.
The gathering was attended by more than 400 people, including Chinese embassy staff and their family members, investors, businessmen and students.
Among those who attended were Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Tan Sri William Cheng, and Malaysia-China Friendship Association secretary-general and Hai-O Enterprise Berhad group managing director Tan Kai Hee.
Tan said that among others, Wen advised the Chinese community from China in Malaysia to co-exist peacefully with locals.
Tan described the Chinese premier as a man with a good heart.
"I think that he's a concerned leader. He asked that chairs be provided to the elderly at the gathering. He pays attention to seemingly small details," he told Bernama.