Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, who served as Malaysia's ambassador to China in 1998-2005, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 12, 2021. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Xinhua) -- "China has made very strong strides in its development and I think China has gone through a very strong transformation, which is not possible without the visionary leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC)," a former Malaysian ambassador to China has said.

"I think the Party has played its role and brought up China to what it is today, a strong country economically, and has many friends in the world. China's success has contributed to the region and to the world," Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, who served as Malaysia's ambassador to China in 1998-2005, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Serving as the president of Malaysia-China Friendship Association now, Majid still works to promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The veteran diplomat noted that China has adopted pragmatic diplomatic policies and "not only contributed economically but also in peace and stability" for the region and the whole world, he said.

"For us in Malaysia and also for the region, we are happy because China's diplomacy has always given priority to the region, to countries in Southeast Asia," he said.

Majid said that with China's development, the world would welcome the country to share its experience and resources.

The Belt and Road Initiative is "very timely," which could bring greater connectivity, he said. "This will facilitate globalization, expedite internationalization and exchanges."

China's successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and its early economic recovery also demonstrated the successful leadership of the CPC, said Majid.

The success reflects the discipline and strong enforcement of the Chinese system, he said.

From his own experience in China and his interactions with the Chinese people, Majid said he could feel that the CPC leadership is well appreciated by the Chinese people.

"Speaking to the Chinese people themselves, they are very thankful that the Party has created social stability in China and also for themselves to feel the economic power, which created this self-confidence in China vis-a-vis the world," he said.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Majid said, has highlighted how the world is a shared community and that global cooperation is essential to overcome such common challenges.

"COVID-19 has shown how a small virus has actually frozen us globally, our movement, our activities, (and) our interaction," said Majid, "so the only way to combat this is through cooperation, through the sharing of common interest, I think that is the way forward." Enditem