BEIJING - Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, representing the Malaysian government, attended the official opening ceremony of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games yesterday.
Accompanied by his wife Puan Sri Noraini Mohd, Johari also attended the welcoming banquet of the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Malaysian contingent, led by Chef-de-Mission Datuk Chong Kim Fatt and represented by 288 athletes, will participate in 22 of the 40 sports contested, with a target of 27 medals.
"As the sole legislative representative invited to this banquet, I am honoured to meet with President Xi and leaders of other countries to discuss close regional cooperation.
"This celebration is the best opportunity to further develop the Asian Century to achieve social inclusiveness and sustainability. Malaysia and China remain committed to fostering multilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of Malaysia, China and Asean,” Johari said in a statement.
The welcoming banquet was also attended by the Kuwait Crown Prince, Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad; Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni; South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Johari, along with the Malaysian Parliament delegation, is on an official visit to Beijing until Thursday at the invitation of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee chairman Zhao Leji, following their bilateral meeting on May 18 at the Malaysian Parliament.
During this visit, Johari is scheduled to meet with Zhao and the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Wang Huning.
He will also deliver a public lecture titled "Asean in the Asian Century” to students of Tsinghua University to discuss the role of Malaysia, the host of the Asean Summit in 2025, in expanding the role of the region.
Johari will also visit several Chinese mega-corporations in the fields of artificial intelligence, renewable energy and food security.
Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Alice Lau Kiong Yeng; Nation Building, Education and Human Resources Development Special Select Committee member M. Kulasegaran; Finance and Economy Special Select Committee member Datuk Awang Hashim; and All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia-Sustainable Development Goals member Chiew Choon Man are also part of the delegation. - BERNAMA