KOTA KINABALU – Trade from China to Sabah hit RM6.56 billion in the first six months of 2023 as a result of increased trade cooperation between Malaysia and the country since the reopening of international borders.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has described China as a significant trade partner to Sabah.
He said more opportunities are available for investors from the republic in the areas of green technology, high-technology agriculture and mixed developments.
“As the economic and trade cooperation between Malaysia and China continue to progress, I look forward to more China trade and investments into Sabah,” he said at the People’s Republic of China‘s 74th National Day Celebration held at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa here tonight.
Deputy Chief Minister II and Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam read the chief minister’s speech.
Hajiji said there is much to be done to strengthen and align Sabah’s development strategies with China, combining the realisation of Chinese modernisation with Malaysia Madani and Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) aspirations.
He said Sabah looked forward to more cooperation with China in green energy, manufacturing, high-technology agriculture, and smart city construction, among others, to promote mutual benefit and win-win private-public partnerships.
Sabah also saw the number of Chinese tourists increase by 680.6% or 17,040 visitors between January and June this year compared to 2,188 visitors in the corresponding period of last year.
This comes on the back of China’s decision to re-open its borders in March this year. Sabah is connected to seven major Chinese cities with 54 weekly flights.
Sabah has generated RM2.45 billion in tourism receipts in the first six months of this year, seeing a total of 1,198,536 tourists visiting the state over the same period. – The Vibes, September 22, 2023
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