Job-seeking students talk with a representative of COSCO Shipping at a job fair of leading Chinese companies at University of Malaya in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 29, 2019. A job fair of leading Chinese companies in Malaysia has attracted graduates of the country's elite university, as increasing bilateral cooperation between China and Malaysia offers new opportunities for local talents. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A job fair of leading Chinese companies in Malaysia has attracted graduates of the country's elite university, as increasing bilateral cooperation between China and Malaysia offers new opportunities for local talents.

Among those who come to visit the Chinese companies job fair was 23-year-old economics student Nur Atiqah Nabihah.

She said she found the possibility of working for a Chinese company to be very attractive. She is also interested in learning Chinese.

"I am willing to learn whether or not the company will support me as this is my interest. Also things are not like before and there is less interest in going to seek opportunities in the West. If I have to study or work abroad, China is much closer than Europe. It feels more possible in my mind," she explained.

The Career Fair 2019, kicking start on Monday, was jointly organized by the Kong Zi Institute (the Confucius Institute) of University of Malaya and the China Enterprises Association in Malaysia (CENAM).

University of Malaya, where the two-day job fair is held, is one of the top universities in Malaysia.

Civil engineering student Fredo Lingijulius, 26, from Malaysia's eastern state of Sarawak, expressed interest in one of the Chinese companies in construction sector.

"Of course it will be interesting to work with a Chinese company. It will be interesting to see how they approach problem solving but I feel held back because of the language," he said, but adding that he was willing to learn the language if the company provide support.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the job fair, Malaysian Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Chi urged students to take advantage of the opportunity to get to know potential employers and to approach the companies with an open mind.

"With 24 companies participating in the Career Fair today, with more than 400 vacancies and internship placements, I am assured that this is a great opportunity for students to explore and secure a future placement, be it internship or a job after graduation," she said.

"You should be willing to discuss your talents, skills, experience and education. Have a good sense of what position suits you, and what you can bring to the role. This could be a life-changing day for you."

The collaborative efforts between Malaysian universities and Chinese companies will make Malaysian students more competitive while enabling universities to prepare their graduates to be relevant in a fast-changing environment, she added.

As pointed out by Chen Chen, Charge d'Affaires at the Chinese embassy in Malaysia, China has been the largest source of foreign investment in Malaysia's manufacturing industry for three consecutive years.

Chinese companies have created a total of some 73,500 jobs for Malaysia while vast majority of the Chinese enterprises have a local staff ratio of more then 80 percent, he said.

The job fair is the first time for the CENAM to hold such event for prominent Malaysian graduates, said its vice president Tian Hua, adding that job opportunities are provided in engineering, business and finance, law and many other fields.

"This platform is served as a convenient, efficient way for Chinese enterprises and Malaysian job seekers to connect with each other," he said.

The event will also help the involvement of Chinese enterprises in such areas as participating in Malaysia's economic diversification, adapting to local cultures and implementing localization strategy, he added.