Lan (fifth left) presents a souvenir to Lau. With them are Hwong (fourth right), Liew (third right) and other members of the visiting delegation and MCCC Sabah members.
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah branch has called on the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government to assist the chamber in attracting more Chinese investors into Sabah.
MCCC Sabah branch president, Datuk Lau Kok Sing, said bilateral trade between Malaysia and China has reached USD106 billion last year.
“The leaders of both countries have set their sights on achieving USD160 billion of bilateral trade volume by 2017,” he said, when meeting delegates from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, led by its director, Lan Yuechun, here yesterday.
Lau said Chinese companies were gradually venturing out of China and expanding into foreign countries.
He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping had also announced that China would be investing USD500 billion worldwide in the next five years.
Lau said that apart from being an international tourism destination, Sabah economy relied on palm oil, rubber, oil and gas and fisheries sectors, among others.
He said that over the past few years, Lan has undertaken concrete steps to promote exchanges between Sabah and China, particularly in the field of culture and education.
“I believe through years of exchanges, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government has realized that Sabah is a place full of investment opportunities,” he said.
Also present at the dialogue were MCCC Sabah honorary advisor, Datuk James Hwong, and vice president, Frankie Liew.