Kuala Lumpur, Oct 22: Ever since the launching of the twin-park projects of China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park and the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, economic and trade co-operation between Malaysia and China has moved to a new stage. In particular, there have been even more frequent visits by officials and entrepreneurs of Guangxi Autonomous Region to Malaysia with the launching of the Kuantan Industrial Park in February this year. Such visits help in providing a strong impetus in encouraging and promoting more Chinese investments from Guangxi to Malaysia.
The latest visit was a high-power delegation led by the Deputy Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (Guangxi) Mr Pan Shiqing. The delegation, comprising top leaders of some of the most important state-owned enterprises in Guangxi, was received by Malaysia-China Business Council Chairman Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting when they called at the MCBC office on Oct 22.
At the meeting, Mr Pan said his delegation, through site visit to the Kuantan Industrial Park and meetings with relevant authorities, hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the preferential treatments offered by the KIP, its overall planning and preferred industrial projects.
He hoped that by doing so, they would be able to further explore opportunities of co-operation to spur the development of the park. Mr Pan added that besides calling on Tan Sri Ong, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to China, the delegation would visit the East Coast Economic Region Development Council, Pahang State Government, S.P. Setia and Rimbunan Hijau as well as other relevant agencies to pave the way for future co-operation and investments.
Tan Sri Ong said there was a surge in Malaysia-China economic and trade co-operation in recent years and this could be attributed to the crucial role played by the Government and enterprises of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
He said Mr Pan and his powerful delegation was a good example. Not only that the delegation was led a top leader in the person of Mr Pan, its members comprised senior representatives of Guangxi Beibu International Port Group as well as some of the most established enterprises in automotive, engineering and pharmaceutical industries an investment groups. This showed that the Guangxi government valued its co-operation with Malaysia very highly, he said.
Tan Sri Ong also touched on the warm reception given to President Xi Jinping recently. He believed such friendly visits by top government leaders would help create favourable conditions to forge even closer economic ties between Malaysia and China.
He said that at the Malaysia-China Economic Summit, top leaders of the two countries also witnessed the signing of the Five Year Programme for Economic and Trade Cooperation, 2013-2017 between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
The five-year programme covers 11 key areas for mutual co-operation with an ultimate goal of raising bilateral trade to US$160 billion at the end of the five- year period. The ambitious plan would provide the greatest impetus for greater economic co-operation between the two countries, said Tan Sri Ong.
He also pointed out that the Kuantan Industrial Park was only the starting point as the East Coast Economic Region where the park was located also offered many investment opportunities and an excellent environment for all types of investment.
He hoped the Guangxi delegation would take advantage of their current visit to gain a better insight and understanding of the advantage of putting their investments in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Translated by Hoo Ban Khee.
