China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on trade and tourism cooperation with Malaysia.

Macao SAR Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah, who is currently on a three-day visit to Malaysia, was present at the signing ceremony here.

Macao Chamber of Commerce (MCC) inked the MoU with National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) while Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTC) signed the other one with Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (better known as Tourism Malaysia).

The first pact formalizes the process of cooperation and understanding between MCC and NCCIM. Both parties agree to maintain close, regular contacts and "provide mutual assistance in promoting a general understanding of the market and investment situation in their respective areas and organizing various activities in Macao and Malaysia for members of both parties," among other commitments.

The second MoU states that MGTC and Tourism Malaysia will exchange delegations to share experiences in the fields of tourism development, management and promotion. The two sides will encourage tourism businesses of the two places to establish business contacts to develop and strengthen mutual cooperation in tourism.

Representatives from the concerned parties signed the MoU at the opening ceremony of the Malaysia-Macao Economic Cooperation Seminar.

Though bilateral trade between Malaysia and Macao SAR is relatively small, there have been significant increases in the volume of trade, Malaysian Foreign Ministry said earlier in a statement.

Malaysia became the 5th largest tourist source market for Macao SAR last year. Over 200,000 Malaysian visitors came to Macao in 2006, a remarkable growth of 106 percent over the previous year, according to figures given by MGTC.

Ho arrived in Malaysia Tuesday on his seven-day Southeast Asia tour, which will also take him to Singapore.