Kuala Lumpur, July 27 -- More than 5,000 runners participated in a friendship run in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Malaysia's Sabah state, on Sunday to mark the 51st anniversary of bilateral ties between Malaysia and China.

The run, organized by the Malaysia-China Friendship Association Sabah, started from early morning, drawing participants from local communities, as well as Chinese students studying in Sabah and staff from Chinese companies.

Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan remarked that the exchanges between Malaysia and China have already taken root at the grassroots level, particularly in youth and sports, adding that events like this help further connect young people from both nations.

Zhu Xinglong, Ch...