Sabah-China business relationship achieves another milestone
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) has officially established a liaison office in Guangzhou, China, marking another significant milestone after setting up a branch in Hubei last year.
Its president, Datuk Frankie Liew, stated that the relationship between Guangzhou and Sabah is very close. Among the over 300,000 Chinese descendants in Sabah, more than 70 per cent are from Guangdong and are Hakka, and there is a long history of official and civilian exchanges, as well as trade and visits.
“In fact, Guangzhou is a very important link for Sabah, whether it is clan associations, cultural and educational exchanges, Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission is the earliest official organisation established by our Sabah Chinese for exchanges. We are not only good partners who trust each other but also can be said to be a family connected by blood.”
Liew stated that while trade, cultural, educational, and clan exchanges and cooperation are important, it is also necessary to establish mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation to achieve common success.
“Let us become each other’s most reliable and powerful partners, so that we can counteract the unfriendly policies and unfair treatment of some countries.
“This time, our SCCC led by my Vice-President cum Young
Entrepreneurs Chairman Zhou Ting Fu and a total of 31 Sabah Chinese young entrepreneurs, specially came to Guangzhou to visit and exchange ideas. We hope to establish closer relations and exchanges with the leaders and learn more about various aspects of Guangzhou, especially new information on trade and investment.”
Liew thanked Wu Suihui, Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, for attending the opening ceremony on Thursday.
He also blessed the consolidation of friendship between Sabah, Malaysia, and Guangzhou, China, wishing to become interactive and mutually beneficial good partners, as the Chinese people have a long and rich history.
Wu stated that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, especially with the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Malaysia, which brings new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and winwin outcomes between the two countries.
He was also entrusted by chairman Ka Yong of the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission to extend warm congratulations on the establishment of the liaison office.
He also conveyed sincere greetings to overseas Chinese friends both at home and abroad.
Wu said that China and Malaysia are a community of shared destiny, with strong economic complementarity, close economic and trade cooperation, and long-standing friendship, for which overseas Chinese have made significant contributions.
“Since the Han and Tang dynasties, Chinese people have been venturing into Nanyang (Southeast Asia), engaging in economic and cultural exchanges in Malaysia, gradually settling and developing their lives in the Nanyang region, exerting profound influence on Malaysia’s economic and social development, and serving as witnesses, participants, and promoters of China-Malaysia friendship and cooperation.
“Today, we witnessed the important moment of the establishment of the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce Liaison Office in Guangdong. “We hope to take this opportunity to fully leverage the advantages of SCCC, representing the broader overseas Chinese community, actively participate in the country’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, actively facilitate exchanges and cooperation between China and Malaysia in various fields, unite the destinies of China and Malaysia, and make greater contributions to promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchange, mutual learning, and friendly exchanges,” he said.