Image credit: South China Morning Post
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 27): The Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) believes that in an era of trade wars and rising protectionism, China, Malaysia and Sabah must establish their own complete industrial and supply chains to minimize the risks brought by geopolitical factors.
They welcome Chinese companies and investors to transfer technology and production capacity to Sabah while exploring the vast Southeast Asian market.
Under the leadership of President Datuk Frankie Liew, SCCC held an exchange meeting recently at the Horizon Hotel in Kota Kinabalu with over 50 representatives from the Xiamen Longyan Xinluo Overseas Chinese Federation and Chamber of Commerce, as well as representatives from the Hong Kong Longyan Association. They discussed future cooperation to promote cultural, economic and trade development between the regions.
“We warmly welcome all Fujianese compatriots and entrepreneurs here today to visit Sabah for inspections and exchanges. Whatever assistance or ideas you may need, the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce is ready to fully support, including providing information, introducing suitable businesses, government departments and professionals,” said Liew.
During the exchange, Liew emphasized that the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce adheres to the position of the Malaysian and Sabah governments, upholding the One China policy and maintaining neutrality on the international stage without taking sides.
“Our federal and Sabah state governments adopt pro-business policies and highly value investments and trade with China,” he said, adding that the Sabah government places great importance on renewable energy, food security, basic infrastructure and industrial development. They welcome Chinese companies to offer suggestions and ideas and when appropriate, the chamber is also willing to help facilitate connections with relevant government departments or officials.
Liew expressed gratitude to the Kota Kinabalu Longyan Association for their intermediary role in bringing all parties together for this exchange. He also hoped that everyone would visit Sabah frequently, either for tourism or business, and to reconnect with relatives in the area.
Chen Jinqin, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Xiamen Longyan Xinluo Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Fujian Longshang Asset Management Co. Ltd., said that this was his second visit to Sabah.
He first came in 2016 with company staff for a tour and is now back with a chamber delegation to learn more and engage in dialogue with the SCCC to explore cooperation opportunities.
This delegation from the Xiamen Longyan Xinluo Chamber of Commerce included representatives from various fields such as Su Yan, Vice Inspector and Chairman of Tailong (Fujian) Commercial Lighting Co., Ltd.; Secretary-General Lian Rongmao; Li Xiaowu, Director and Chairman of Longyan Xinluo District Green Garden Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.; Chen Zhiwei, Director and Chairman of Xiamen Top Aluminum Technology Co., Ltd.; Chen Hongyan, Supervisor and General Manager of Xiamen Dazhen Motor Co., Ltd.; members Li Ling, Chen Biqing, Chen Liling, Chen Xiaoyan, Shi Xiangmei and Mao Zuoyong.
Guo Zhiming, President of the Hong Kong Longyan Association, shared that his mother was born in Sabah and his grandparents and other relatives still live there, giving him a special connection to the state.
“As a native of Longyan, the establishment of the Kota Kinabalu Longyan Association for its 100th anniversary demonstrates the close and unique bond between the people of Sabah and Longyan. “A hundred years ago, the ancestors of Longyan overcame countless hardships to build their lives here and left an inspiring legacy,” he said.
Guo praised Sabah’s rich resources and beautiful landscapes and expressed his hope to identify investment projects in Sabah to continue the legacy that the Longyan pioneers had established.
The delegation from the Hong Kong Longyan Association also included Director-General Lin Man and Supervisor-General Pan Jingsheng.
Lin Fei, Vice Chairman of the Xinluo District Overseas Chinese Federation of Longyan City, expressed gratitude for the reception and exchange organized by the Kota Kinabalu Longyan Association and the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce.
He introduced Longyan as a famous revolutionary area in China and invited Sabah’s compatriots and entrepreneurs to visit, invest and explore business opportunities in Longyan.
At the meeting, SCCC Deputy President Brett Chua invited representatives from the Xiamen Longyan Xinluo Chamber of Commerce and Hong Kong Longyan Association to attend the First Sabah China Business Summit and Expo to be held from November 22 to 24 at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
“This event, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations, will be the first Sabah China Business Summit and Expo. Government representatives from Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Jilin and Jiangxi Provinces in China will attend, along with many Chinese enterprises,” he said.
Chua mentioned that the SCCC is organizing the summit, covering fields such as agriculture, technology, plantation and aquaculture, and he hopes the guests will have an opportunity to visit Sabah again to see local produce and resources.
Representatives from the SCCC who attended the exchange included Chua, Honorary Advisor Dato’ George Lim, Investment Advisor Datuk Datuk NK Foo, Vice President Datuk Jonathan Koh JP, Vice President and Young Entrepreneurs Committee Chairman Chiew HH, Vice President and Women Entrepreneurs Committee Chairman Tan SL.
Also present were Ye Peiwen, Executive of the Business Development Department at POIC; Li Xiaohui, Senior Executive of the Sales Department; Sun Yat-sen Philanthropic Foundation Malaysia Representative Zhang Xuechao and Chairman Zhang Rende of the Kota Kinabalu Longyan Association.
Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2024/10/27/china-malaysia-and-sabah-must-establish-industrial-and-supply-chains-sccc/