KOTA KINABALU: China is Sabah’s largest source of foreign tourists, with 262,070 of
the 706,383 international arrivals recorded from January to July this year.
The surge was also due to the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China
announced last December. China’s visitor arrivals was recorded at 26,054 of the
424,052 international arrivals for the same period last year, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said since tourism is a critical driver of Sabah’s economy, the State Government would continue to enhance its business environment and upgrade tourism facilities to attract more investors and tourists to the State.
Speaking at the 75th anniversary reception of the founding of the People’s Republic of
China at the Magellan Sutera here today, Hajiji reaffirmed Sabah’s commitment to
fostering strong economic ties with China.
“As the economic and trade cooperation between Malaysia and China continue to
progress, I look forward to more synergy in all areas of cooperation between Sabah and
China. The State Government will work closely with the Chinese Consulate General in
Kota Kinabalu to enhance and continue this cooperation,” he said.
He said the State Government placed great importance on mutually beneficial
cooperation with China and looked forward to identifying new opportunities and exploring
new areas of collaboration.
The Chief Minister said the State Government was pleased that Sabah has remained a
sought-after destination for Chinese visitors for leisure and business.
“Sabah has ample opportunities for investors in green technology and high-tech
agriculture, as well as mixed developments. We are also keen for Chinese investors to
explore opportunities in the State’s Blue Economy.
“Similarly, the energy sector presents significant opportunities, and while oil and gas
remain important revenue streams for Sabah, we welcome investors to also explore
solar and storage technologies, hydro, geothermal, as well as carbon market
opportunities,” he said.
Hajiji said four months ago on May 31, Malaysia and China celebrated the 50th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Our two nations have always been good friends and enjoyed cordial relations. China is
the largest trading partner for both Malaysia and Sabah. This has contributed to much
cooperation across various sectors, bringing tangible benefits to our two nations and the
people on both sides.
“Last year, the leaders of Malaysia and China reached an important consensus on jointly
building the Malaysia-China community with a shared future.
“This signalled a new chapter in our bilateral relations, adding a strong impetus on
enhanced Malaysia-China and Sabah-China relations. Similarly, the King of Malaysia’s
recent four-day visit to China was a significant step in strengthening diplomatic ties
between the two nations,” he said.
The Chief Minister is confident that Malaysia and China will have many more years of
good bilateral relations, seeing that there has been remarkable progress in cooperation
in various fields, namely trade, investment, education, culture and tourism.-pr/BNN
