On August 23, 2021, Premier Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory message to Ismail Sabri Yaakob on his assuming office as Malaysia's prime minister.

Li Keqiang said in his congratulatory message that China and Malaysia are traditional friendly neighbors facing each other across the sea. Bilateral relations have maintained a good momentum of development for a long time and cooperation in various fields has been close and deep, which have brought tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries and made positive contributions to regional stability and development. I am looking forward to working with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to further deepen bilateral cooperation in COVID-19 response and development, promote pragmatic cooperation in key areas to achieve more results, and continuously lift the China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership to higher levels.