Kota Kinabalu: Sabah and the People’s Republic of China aim to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, trade, investment and agri-food development.
Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the matter was among those discussed during a courtesy visit by Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Dr Zhu Xinglong, to Wisma Pertanian Sabah, Friday.
He said the visit aimed to strengthen existing ties and cooperation between Sabah and China, particularly in the agri-food sector.
“Among the matters discussed were opportunities to expand market access for Sabah’s agricultural products, fisheries produce and processed food products in the Chinese market.
“The discussions also covered potential cooperation in modernising Sabah’s agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors through technology transfer, expertise sharing and the adoption of best practices in the agri-food industry.
“Opportunities to attract strategic investments and strengthen economic cooperation were also discussed to contribute to the development of the agri-food sector, stimulate economic growth and create new opportunities, particularly in rural areas,” he said.
During the meeting, Jamawi also stressed that the Sabah Government respected the One-China Policy, in line with the official position of the Federal Government.
He said the position reflected Sabah’s commitment to maintaining good and mutually respectful relations with the People’s Republic of China, particularly in strengthening cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, trade, investment, technology and agri-food development.
At the same time, Jamawi said cooperation between Sabah and its partners from China would continue to be carried out based on mutual interests, the principle of mutual respect and the framework and policies established by the Malaysian Government.
Also present were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Ts Jifrin Mohamad; Deputy Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Xue Xiaoning; Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (Sabah Branch) Vice-President and Deputy President Louis K. F. Su and Dr Tan Kai Lee; and Special Officer to the Sabah Chief Minister Yee Tsai Yiew, along with senior Ministry officials and a delegation from the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu.
