KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will use its relationship with China to improve its basketball performance as sports diplomacy is set to enhance people-to-people ties between the two countries, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said on Tuesday.

　　Speaking at the launch of the Malaysia-China Basketball Exchange Program, Saifuddin hailed the exchange program as "sports diplomacy," through which Malaysian basketball players and coaches can learn from their accomplished Chinese counterparts.

　　"China remains a leading powerhouse when it comes to Asian basketball, so I'm sure the (Malaysian) players and the coaches will gain a lot of experience in their training and in their interactions with the Chinese players and coaches," he said.

　　"We believe that sports can serve as a bridge between peoples, communities, nations and regions. Sports can generate good will and help build security and prosperity through a shared passion of sports," he added.

　　Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian said the program would continue the momentum of people-to-people exchanges.

　　"The people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia are also growing in great vitality with the increasing understanding and friendship between our two peoples, and this close friendship in turn has laid a solid foundation for the development of China-Malaysia relations," he said.

　　The exchange program will see the Malaysia's national women's basketball team comprised of 14 players and three coaches head to China's Tianjin this month to play four friendly matches with local teams, according to Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) president Lua Choon Hann.

　　"With this program, we will have the opportunity to learn, exchange ideas to improve our basketball development and send our players to China for high-level tournaments and competitions," he said.

　　As part of the exchange program, China's Under-16 men's team coach Zhang Jingdong will visit Malaysia in October to facilitate coach education courses.

　　The exchange comes at a time when Malaysia is seeking to grow the game within its own sports ecosystem. China is already competitive against many top basketball nations, with its Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) being widely regarded as the premier professional men's basketball league in Asia.