The event is aimed to deepen mutual understanding, promote cultural diversity, pluralism, and creativity, according to him.

"We welcome partnerships in promoting local cuisine, artistic collaborations, academic and media exchanges, and other aspects, all of which will greatly enhance the ties between our two countries," Abdul Karim says, adding that cultural exchanges not only enrich lives but also build bridges for future cooperation, further strengthening the profound friendship between China and Malaysia.

Dai Xulong, president of Council for International Economics and Technology Administration, Beijing, considers Malaysia a country where diverse cultures coexist harmoniously, and various cultural traditions and customs are respected and protected.

"I believe that this is also thanks to the tireless efforts and selfless dedication of Chinese pioneers in upholding Chinese culture," Dai says.

"In recent years, Malaysia has been working hard to facilitate more Chinese tourists to visit the country. I believe that the hosting of the Beijing Malaysia Festival will further bridge the gap between the people of the two countries and promote mutual understanding between them," he adds.

Tengku Eliza Ibrahim, lead project coordinator for Perwakilan Beijing, a Malaysian charity organization, rolled out various cuisines for the visitors at the event.

"The food that we prepared is basically all the Malaysian favorites, all homemade by the ladies from the (Malaysian) embassy," Ibrahim says.

During the festival, Ibrahim and her team prepared seven different menus to be sold, consisting of about 400 items.

"Different days, different menu. We had dishes that we eat every day. All the members here were on duty to help sell the food, to raise money for our charity," she says.

It was the biggest public event by the charity organization in China over the past three years, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The festival brought many fellow Malaysians together, united through our appetite for good food and rich culture. Beijing residents also had the chance to experience the Malaysian spirit firsthand, without having to travel miles," Ibrahim says.

"I believe Malaysian food is appealing to the Chinese community as well because we also have a lot of Chinese in Malaysia, so the taste is similar," she says.