Guizhou hopes to enhance cooperation with Sabah

Borneo Post

3 days ago

Phoong (center, front row) with the Guizhou Provincial Government delegation and SCCC representatives.
KOTA KINABALU (July 23): A delegation from the Guizhou Provincial Foreign Affairs Office visited Sabah and expressed a desire to establish a friendly provincial-state relationship between Guizhou and Sabah.
This proposal received positive responses from Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew and Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.
Both sides look forward to greater cooperation and exchanges in areas such as economy, culture, trade, tourism and people-to-people relations, to promote bilateral economic collaboration.
Arranged by the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC), the Guizhou delegation on Tuesday paid courtesy visits to Christina and Phoong.
Deputy Director-General of the Guizhou Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Liu Baochang, conveyed to both ministers Guizhou's hopes to deepen and broaden cooperation in economic, cultural and tourism fields.
He also presented Guizhou's strengths and characteristics, including the province's six major industrial bases – new energy power batteries and materials R&D and production, computing power infrastructure and liquor production, among others – highlighting the integration of scientific innovation and industrial development.
In the realm of technology, Guizhou is home to data centers for Apple and Huawei. It also hosts the globally renowned 'Sky Eye' (the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope). Guizhou is advancing its new energy industry with developments in trucks, cars and batteries. In traditional sectors, it is the home of Moutai liquor and has over seven million acres of tea plantations.
The province has also made significant achievements in ecological and tourism development.
Liu revealed that the Guizhou government is encouraging enterprises to expand cooperation with Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Thus, this visit was specifically intended to explore collaborative opportunities and promote the establishment of a friendly provincial-state relationship. He also expressed hope that the two ministers could visit Guizhou in the near future for firsthand experience and to further advance the friendly ties.
Christina Liew (first right) having a discussion with Liu Baochang and Frankie Liew.
During the meeting, Christina welcomed the Guizhou delegation and expressed her hope for deeper exchanges, particularly in eco-tourism and the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program.
'We appreciate the visit from the Guizhou delegation, which gives us the opportunity to learn more about another beautiful province in China. We also hope there will be more collaborative opportunities in the future,' said the minister, who looks forward to formalizing the establishment of friendly ties.
Christina introduced Sabah's tourism advantages, including its natural beauty and abundant resources. She emphasized the state government's commitment to preserving the natural forests and wildlife. Most major tourist sites in Sabah remain largely untouched and natural.
She also revealed that the Sabah government is planning to build a 65-acre cultural center in Kinarut to allow the state's 35 indigenous ethnic groups to construct their own iconic structures, preserving and showcasing their unique cultural heritage and enriching Sabah's tourism offerings.
During his meeting with the Guizhou delegation, Phoong emphasized that Sabah is moving beyond traditional industries and toward a path of industrialization and diversification, aiming for a leapfrogging development model to spur economic growth.
He highlighted the concept of 'No Wealth Without Industry' and underscored the importance of industrialization for Sabah's economic future. The state government is actively enhancing infrastructure. All Sabah-related packages under the Pan Borneo Highway are expected to commence this year. Upgrading works at Kota Kinabalu International Airport will begin within the next one–two months, and Tawau Airport will begin its enhancement project next month.
He also shared that Sepangar Port will undergo upgrades that will double its container handling capacity from 500,000 to 1.2 million TEUs annually upon completion.
In terms of electricity supply, the state government plans to increase capacity by 700 MW by 2030, including the construction of Malaysia's first wind power plant.
'Sabah is transforming through new technologies!' said Phoong.
He also extended an invitation to the Guizhou delegation and enterprises to participate in the Second Sabah-China Expo on November 21–23 this year.
Datuk Frankie Liew, president of the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC), noted that the Guizhou delegation is a high-level team comprising leaders from several important agencies including the Foreign Affairs Office, Department of Commerce, Federation of Industry and Commerce, and municipal governments. He believes this visit will foster pragmatic cooperation and help identify future opportunities.
'Combining the resources and strengths of Guizhou and Sabah, I'm confident we can enhance economic growth on both sides,' said Frankie.
He remarked that although Guizhou and Sabah are geographically located in different regions of China and Malaysia, they both enjoy rich natural resources, diverse cultural heritages, and robust tourism assets. He hopes both sides can explore more platforms and opportunities for cooperation in promotion, ecological protection and cultural exchanges.
'In the future, we hope to deepen cooperation in cultural and creative industries, environmental technologies, and jointly promote green development to build a better tomorrow,' added Frankie.
Also present at the meeting were SCCC Deputy President Brett Chua, Vice Presidents Ir. Ts. KJ Tan, JP, Datuk Jonathan Koh, JP, Chiew Heng Hock and Tan Siew Ling, and CEO of Invest Sabah, Dr Firdausi Suffian.