Sultan Ibrahim of Malaysia is set to embark on a four-day visit to China, as announced by the Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday. The ceremonial leader from Johor is expected to seek assistance in revitalizing projects that enhance connectivity with neighboring Singapore.

Having been appointed as the 17th king of Malaysia in January, Sultan Ibrahim is part of a distinctive monarchy system where the heads of the nine royal families rotate the kingship every five years, maintaining a stance above political affairs. However, at 65 years old, he has expressed a desire to engage in the nation’s political landscape, suggesting that Malaysia’s state oil company, Petroliam Nasional, and the anti-corruption agency should report directly to the king, as stated in an interview with Singapore’s Strait Times prior to his ascension.

The visit, scheduled for September 19-22, comes at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, with the foreign ministry providing limited additional information.

In June, Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest official, visited Kuala Lumpur and expressed support for Malaysia’s initiative to enhance its connectivity through a $10 billion East Coast Rail link, which would integrate with other China-supported railway projects in Laos and Thailand.

Li emphasized that this initiative would contribute to the realization of a proposed Pan-Asia Railway connecting Kunming in China to Singapore, likely passing through Johor, where Ibrahim also aims to establish a rail connection.

Ibrahim has also mentioned efforts to revive a previously halted high-speed rail project between Malaysia and Singapore, featuring a border crossing at Forest City, a $100 billion land reclamation and development venture backed by China, in which he has an interest.