DALIAN: The Sabah-Dalian trade cooperation mission has successfully opened a new chapter in strategic collaboration, with two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and three letters of intent (LoIs) signed involving the education, technology, maritime, and blue economy development sectors.
The document exchange ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Chief Minister III cum Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport of Sabah, Datuk Ewon Benedick, alongside representatives from the Dalian government, on the occasion of the Dalian-Sabah Trade and Investment Partnership Session, Interactive Dialogue on the Blue Economy Sector, here yesterday.
Among the MoUs signed were a collaboration between Dalian Maritime University (DMU) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and a technology cooperation for converting drinking water for functional water use between Jetama and Dalian Bowen Software Technology Co. Ltd.
The three LoIs involved a friendly cooperation partnership between the Dalian Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce and the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat, collaboration between Dalian Ocean University and SMJ, and cooperation between the Beijing Open University International Curriculum Centre and the Sabah Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (KPSTI).
In his speech at the event, Ewon said the cooperation through these MoUs and LoIs reflects the strong friendship between Malaysia and China, while also opening up broader economic collaboration potential between Sabah and Dalian in trade, investment, industry, and the blue economy.
He stated that Sabah is now strategically positioned to strengthen trade relations and attract high-value investments, particularly in the blue economy sector.
“Sabah is reinforcing its position as a regional hub for maritime trade, logistics, industrial development, and blue economy investment.
“Dalian, meanwhile, is renowned as a maritime, logistics, and industrial hub with strengths in port development, marine technology, shipbuilding, and coastal industrial development,” he said.
He noted that Sabah is now focusing on 15 key industries under the blue economy framework, including aquaculture, maritime logistics, marine biotechnology, ocean energy technology, and ocean monitoring.
“Sabah is also implementing several major projects, including the development of the Kudat Blue Economy Industrial Park, the water desalination project at POIC Lahad Datu, and the development of floating solar facilities at Babagon Dam,” he said.
“Sabah welcomes strategic cooperation with partners from China, especially Dalian, in technology transfer, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and joint efforts in high-impact sectors,” he added.
He also invited the Dalian government and companies to explore investment opportunities and strategic cooperation in Sabah.
In a related development, Ewon said Sabah recorded RM7.6 billion in manufacturing sector investments in 2025, a 208 per cent increase from RM2.47 billion the previous year.
He said that of this total, RM6.6 billion was foreign direct investment (FDI), while RM1 billion was domestic investment.-pr/BNN
