BEIJING - China and Malaysia on Friday pledged to strengthen their bilateral ties and cooperation.

The pledge was made in a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on a six-day official visit to China.

Calling Malaysia a trustworthy friend and important cooperative partner, Xi said the two sides should continue to make joint efforts and overcome challenges in the search for the missing plane so as to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi hailed the development of China-Malaysia ties since their establishment 40 years ago, attributing it to the two countries' mutual respect, political mutual trust, reciprocal cooperation, and fruitful cultural cooperation and exchanges.

Najib stressed the importance he attaches to relations with China. He vowed to follow the traditional friendship, strengthen the two sides' mutual trust, and actively promote the development of Malaysia-China relations.

Xi called on the two sides to maintain high-level engagement, strengthen experience sharing, promote cooperation in areas including infrastructure construction, communications, aerospace, remote sensing satellites, and finance, and expand bilateral trade and investment.

He said the two sides should also strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, security and defense, jointly fight terrorism, illegal immigration and cyberspace crimes, and enhance cultural and youth exchanges.

Najib said Malaysia hoped to increase bilateral trade and two-way investment with China, and enlarge the scale of local currency settlement. He also welcomed Chinese companies to participate in Malaysia's economic development, and called for more cultural and personnel exchanges and cooperation in defense and law enforcement.

The Malaysian prime minister started his China visit on Tuesday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He arrived in Beijing on Wednesday.