New chapter of China-Sabah coopera on
The Chinese Consulate General will work closely with the state government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Mohd Shafie Apdal to jointly propel the “boat of China-Sabah friendship” to a broader and brighter future.
KOTA KINABALU: The Chinese Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu will work closely with the new government of Sabah, led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Mohd Shafie bin Haji Apdal, to jointly propel the “boat of China-Sabah friendship” to a broader and brighter future.
Its Consul General, Liang Caide, said the Chinese Government cherishes the China-Malaysia friendship and will also continue to work closely with the new Malaysian Government to jointly push the bilateral relations to a new level.
He said during China’s Song Dynasty a thousand years ago, the Chinese merchant ships, loaded with exquisite porcelain, copper ware and silk satin, sailed to Sabah and traded with the local people, unfolding the friendly exchanges between China and Sabah.
It is believed that six hundred years ago, Zheng He’s fleet also came to Sabah with the message of peace and friendliness, which left behind lots of beautiful legends. Since then, one after another, Chinese people came to the Southeast Asia for various reasons. They made a living, settled down, and made great contributions to local social and economic development.
“I came to Sabah and took office as the Consul General 10 months ago. Since then, I have heard the touching story of Mount Kinabalu. I have seen the Chinese ancient porcelain salvaged from the shipwreck of the Song Dynasty. I have felt the harmony between the Chinese community and the various ethnic races in Sabah. These are the things that deeply move me. “Since the ancient times, China and Sabah have been interconnected by the Maritime Silk Road, and the people have been bonded due to exchanges and migration,” he said.
Liang said the Chinese nation once wrote a glorious chapter in the history of human civilization. However, in the mid-19th to early 20th century, the nation learned a hard lesson with tears and blood for being lagged behind. Forty years ago, the people of China ushered in a new spring as China began to implement the policy of reform and opening up.
Today, he said China has become the world’s second largest economy; the largest manufacturing country; the largest cargo trading country, as well as the largest foreign exchange reserve country. China is making more and more contributions to the world.
“Last year, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was successfully held, declaring the Socialism with Chinese Characteristics entered a New Era. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping thought on diplomacy, what kind of foreign policy will China adopt in the New Era? How would we continue to promote friendship and cooperation between places of China and Sabah?” he said.
Liang pointed out that Chinese people often say that “neighbors wish each other well, just like family members do” and “a close neighbor is better than a distant relative”. China has always regarded its neighbors as cooperative partners in promoting common development and sincere friends to maintain peace and stability.
“We will continue to deepen good-neighbor relations in line with the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, with a view to building a community with a shared future in Southeast Asia,” he said.
According to the consul general, Malaysia has long been a good friend, good partner and good neighbor of China. In the early days of China’s reform and opening up, Malaysian Chinese whom sincerely love their ancestral homeland, went to China to invest and set up factories to help the Chinese economy take off. After China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, Malaysia was one of the first countries to respond and support it.
Liang added the Chinese nation has always been a peace-loving nation. Since ancient times, it has advocated the philosophy on peace such as “living in harmony with all others far and near”, “loving people and treating neighbors kindly are treasures of a country” and “the war-like state, however big it may be, will eventually perish”.
When Admiral Zheng He sailed to the Southeast Asia, Liang said the first thing he did after arrival in a country was to declare the emperor’s edict, expressing China’s wish to share the blessings of world peace with all countries. The second thing was to present gifts to the King and officials, and to convey the will of establishing and developing friendly exchanges. The third thing was to negotiate trading.
Zheng He’s treasure ships were in enormous sizes, even slightly superior to the wooden battleship HMS Victoria built by the British with great cost four centuries later. Nevertheless, during Admiral Zheng He’s seven voyages to the western seas, he neither occupied an inch of land nor plundered any property in other countries. He treated all countries with courtesy and equality. Similarly, when Zheng He’s fleet came to Malaysia, it brought the message of peace and friendship, he disclosed.
From the outbreak of the Opium War in 1840 to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, he said the Chinese nation suffered from the invasion and internal turmoil that was rarely seen worldwide, and the people endured unprecedented hardship. The Chinese people therefore understand the value of peace and the importance of development the most.
“It is peaceful development, not predatory expansion that has enabled China, a country once mired in poverty and backwardness, to grow into the world’s second largest economy. No matter how advanced it may become, China will never seek hegemony, nor will it seeks expansion or spheres of influence,” he said.
Liang further stated that history is a piece of mirror. The closeddoor policy during the Ming and Qing Dynasties eventually led to the result that the aggressors forcibly opened China’s door with warships and cannons. It is known that for any country or nation to achieve rejuvenation, they must follow the logic of history and the trend of the times in their pursuit of progress and development.
Forty years ago, under the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, he said China began the historical journey of reform and opening up. The hard work was paid out as a result of the unity and determined efforts of the Chinese people over the past four decades.
“The Chinese people have accomplished a glorious chapter in the development epic of the country and nation. Today, as the Chinese people strive to realize the Chinese Dream, China’s President Xi Jinping has solemnly committed that China’s door will not close, but open wider and wider.
“China has announced to develop Hainan Island into a pilot free trade zone, and will hold the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai. All these are vivid demonstrations of China’s efforts in continuously deepening the reform and opening up, as well as upholding free trade,” he said.
Liang said China welcome Sabah enterprises to seize the opportunity of China’s opening up by vigorously exploring China’s market, gaining business opportunities and development.
“We also encourage enterprises or individuals from China to invest in Sabah and participate in the economic development of Sabah.
“As the Chinese proverb goes, ‘A just world should be pursued for the common good.’ The interests of all countries in the world nowadays are intertwined, with each having a stake in the other. All countries should dedicate themselves to the philosophy of ‘the world of one big family’, by understanding each other, seeking common ground while reserving differences,” he said.
The consul general also stressed that efforts should be made to develop a community of a shared future for all mankind and to build a beautiful world with lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness and cleanliness.
To this end, he said China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to jointly build an open platform for international cooperation and create new impetus to achieve common development, through realizing the policy, infrastructure, trade, finance, and people-to-people connectivity. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Five years on, trade between China and other participating countries has exceeded USD 5 trillion in cumulative terms. Chinese investments in these countries have exceeded USD 70 billion and more than 200,000 local jobs have been created. The achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative have exceeded expectations.
“Adhering to the principle of ‘achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration’, we make sure that mutual benefits and win-win cooperation will be achieved when implementing the projects of the Belt and Road Initiative. We comprehensively consider, from the stage of planning to implementation, how to bring more benefits to the participating region, its people and their livelihood. We hope that the relevant projects will be truly beneficial to the development of the participating countries and regions, as well as to the local people,” he said.
Sabah is a dazzling pearl in the South China Sea. It has picturesque scenery and is known as the “Land below the Wind”. Its blue sea, azure sky and seafood cuisine are favored by tourists from China.
Liang disclosed that Sabah has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists. Last year, the number of tourists from China visiting Sabah reached 430,000, and it is expected to exceed 500,000 this year.
The direct flights from Kota Kinabalu to different cities in China have reached over 100 per week. Based on an average of spending per person of RM5,000, Chinese tourists contributed over RM2 billion of tourism revenue for Sabah last year.
Sabah boasts rich natural resources, harmony of various ethnic races with different religions, close cultural ties with China. In the recent years, cooperation between places of China and Sabah has become increasingly close. More and more Chinese companies have entered Sabah, covering construction, tourism and hotels, electricity and energy, chemical engineering, telecommunication, plantation, fishery and other industries. Chinese companies have brought capital and technology to Sabah, which is helpful to the development of infrastructure and various industries in Sabah. At the same time, they have created numerous jobs and brought benefits to the people of Sabah.
Since the 19th CPC National Congress, China has entered a new era of development. The Chinese people are working tirelessly to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Similarly, with the new government chosen by the people, Sabah also stands at a new starting point for development. China and Sabah are geographically close to each other with cultural ties and friendly exchanges that dated back to a long history.