KUALA LUMPUR: In view of the vast investment and business opportunities in Guangdong, China, the Malaysia-Guangdong Chamber of Investment Promotion (MGCIP) will hold a conference in Zhuhai, Guangdong, this September to further boost bilateral trade.
Speaking at a luncheon to welcome MGCIP’s new members, the prime minister’s special envoy to China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting said as Guangdong province accounted for about a quarter of total China-Malaysia bilateral trade, it was important to further deepen relations between the two.
“Guangdong is the most populous province in China with one of the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, so MGCIP’s efforts is very commendable,” he said.
He added that the two countries’ agreement to boost trade to US$160bil in 2017 also implied that the trade volume with Guangdong would grow to US$40bil.
Besides that, opportunities were aplenty as Guangdong was the first province in China to hit US$1 trillion in annual GDP, he said.
“MGCIP can be a platform for Malaysian businessmen and investors to tap into the Guangdong market and likewise, those from Guangdong can understand doing business better through this avenue,” Ong said.
He said US$160bil in trade anticipated might seem like a tall order but it was achievable via the identified areas of collaboration such as franchising; construction; architectural and design services; information, communication and technology; waste and water treatment, port development and logistics; banking and financial services; healthcare; education as well as halal products.
MGCIP president Datuk Seri Lim Hock San said the first Malaysia-Guangdong Bilateral Enterprise Business Council Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur in 2009.
The primary objective of MGCIP is to act as an international platform to promote exchange and cooperation between Malaysian and Guangdong business communities, while playing the role of a communication hub between Malaysian and Guangdong business communities.
MGCIP, which was formed in 2008, primarily serves as an international platform to promote exchange and cooperation between Malaysian and Guangdong business communities.
SOURCE: The Star, 25 July 2014.
