Malaysia wants to settle its decades-long territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea through "friendly negotiation", the country's prime minister said in Beijing yesterday.

Najib Tun Razak, on his first official visit to a country that is not a member of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since taking office in April, made the remarks when meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People.

"Malaysia has recognized the complexity of the South China Sea issue and would like to solve the problem through friendly negotiation under the guidance of international laws," reads a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry after the hour-long meeting.