Malaysia is ideally placed to be the gateway for commodities trade between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said.

A corner of Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur (Source: New Straits Times)

Delivering a keynote speech at the launch of Malaysia's first commodities e-commerce trading platform on 2 May, Mahathir said Malaysia's location in ASEAN and its long-standing cultural ties with China make it an ideal business partner in the sector.

Mahathir said the e-commerce trading platform would help the country leverage on its plan to become a regional trade bridge with China.

On 24 April, Mahathir arrived in Beijing for a five-day working trip to China, during which he attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

He met with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other high-ranking officials of China.

During the meetings, Mahathir said Malaysia is ready to promote cooperation with China across spheres, and work to enhance relations between ASEAN and China.

(Source: VNA)