KUALA LUMPUR: China offers huge benefit for Malaysia especially in the trading, tourism and education industry with its rapid economic growth that is uninterrupted for the last 30 years and population of 1.3 billion.

MCA president and adviser to the World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF), Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, said the trade between the two countries had reached RM147 billion in 2010.

He said there is a huge potential in China's tourism market where it is expected to become the world's biggest tourism market in the world in five years.

A total of 1.1 million Chinese tourists visted Malaysia last year.

There is also a huge potential in the education sector between China and Malaysia.

Chua said governments of the countries had agreed on a mutual recognition between universities in Malaysia and China.

"Today China is recognised as the second economic power house and it will continue to play a more important role at the world stage," Chua said.

He was speaking to newsmen at the third World Chinese Economic Forum signing ceremony, here yesterday.

Also present were the founder and patron for the WCEF, Tan Seri Lee Kim Yew, and chief executive officer and director of Asian Strategy Leadership Institute (ASLI) and chairman of the forum, Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh.

WCEF will be attended by some 500 participants from 25 countries such as Australia, New Zealand, France, German, India and Pakistan.

It will be held on November 3-4 at the Palace of the Golden Horses in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Datuk Michael Yeoh said the forum will be the hub in promoting closer linkages between the West, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"ASLI also aims to establish the World Chinese Economic Forum at a global status for well-known and leading personalities to discuss various issues on meeting today's key economic challenges, as well as strengthen the bamboo networks among the Global Chinese Diaspora," Yeoh added.