Malaysia hopes to strengthen tourism cooperation with China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Malaysian Deputy Tourism Minister Lim Siang Chai said on Thursday.

 

He made the remarks at a meeting with a Tibetan delegation.

 

"The tourism between Malaysia and China has made a big progress, especially in the recent years," said Lim Siang Chai, adding that he hopes the two sides will strengthen tourism cooperation.

 

It is estimated that the trade between Malaysia and China will reach US$50 billion, according to Lim.

 

Tibet is a supernatural and mysterious place with Everest, the world's highest mountain, said Meng Deli, vice chairman of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

 

There are dozens of mountains with altitude of over 7000 meters, which will attract Malaysians to visit, he said.

 

In the past, the transportation limited the tourists' visit to Tibet. However, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest railway, which started to run on July 1, 2006, has already brought more than 1.5 million tourists to Tibet, according to Meng.

 

Meng said he expects 3.5 million tourists to visit Tibet this year.

 

The two sides discussed the specific measures to promote Malaysians' visit to Tibet, including the possibility for flights between Tibet and Malaysia.

 

This is the first time for China's Tibet Autonomous Region to have sent a delegation to visit Malaysia.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2007)