KUALA LUMPUR – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday afternoon for a three-day state visit to the Southeast Asian country after wrapping up a two-day tour of Vietnam.

He was warmly welcomed by Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Xi said in a written statement that he will exchange in-depth views with Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on bilateral ties and international and regional issues of common interest.

READ MORE: Beijing, Kuala Lumpur set to expand cooperation

Noting that China and Malaysia are both important developing countries and members of the Global South, Xi said deepening high-level and strategic cooperation between the two countries benefits their common interests and is also conducive to regional and world peace, stability and prosperity.

This marks Xi's second visit to Malaysia in 12 years, and the country is the second stop on his three-nation trip to Southeast Asia starting on Monday.

"I expect to use this visit as an opportunity to further deepen the two countries' traditional friendship, enhance mutual political trust, advance cooperation on modernization, and facilitate cultural exchanges and mutual learning, thus bringing the building of a China-Malaysia community with a shared future to new heights," Xi said.

Xi said he believes that with concerted efforts from both sides, the visit will surely achieve fruitful results and mark a new chapter featuring neighborliness, friendship and mutual benefit in the history of China-Malaysia relations and usher in a new "golden 50 years" of bilateral ties.

In a signed article published in local media ahead of his arrival in Malaysia, Xi said he looks forward to meeting with Malaysian friends to celebrate the friendship between China and Malaysia and plan for future cooperation.

ALSO READ: ‘Flowing water cannot be severed’ – How Xi Jinping promotes China-M’sia friendship

The two countries must work together to give fresh momentum to their ship of friendship that has sailed through the long river of history, and ensure that it forges ahead steadily toward brighter horizons, he said in the article titled "May the Ship of China-Malaysia Friendship Sail Toward an Even Brighter Future".

He urged the two countries to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthen cooperation on industrial and supply chains.

The two sides must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation, he said.

With Xinhua inputs