KUALA LUMPUR - China will further promote educational cooperation with Malaysia, Premier Wen Jiabao said here Wednesday during his two-day official visit to Malaysia.

When visiting the University of Malaya, the oldest and largest university in Malaysia, Wen said the two countries will sign agreements on mutual recognition of higher education experience and academic degrees.

Wen meanwhile hailed the university's efforts to promote cultural exchanges between Chinese and Malaysian youths.

The youth are the future of a country, and serve as an important tie for countries to build friendship, he said.

Wen welcomed Malaysian students to study in China to learn more about the country. He also encouraged them to strengthen exchanges with their Chinese counterparts to carry on and promote the China-Malaysia friendship.

The Chinese leader also offered the University of Malaya, which houses Malaysia's first Confucius Institute, some Chinese language teaching materials as a gift and planted a tree as a token of hope and friendship.

Wen arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday. He will continue his Southeast Asian trip in Indonesia on April 29-30.