Hajiji delivering his congratulatory message.
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 1): Sabah and China have supported each other in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and shared weal and woe, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor.
“This reflects the brotherhood of the people of Sabah and China,” he said in his congratulatory speech for China’s National Day, marking the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Hajiji said Sabah is speeding up the vaccination programme, striving to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible, so that businesses and borders can be reopened.
In this regard, he said Sabah’s economic recovery and development also requires China’s active participation. “More Chinese companies are welcome to invest and start businesses in Sabah, and more Chinese tourists are welcome to come to Sabah for leisure and vacation.
“I believe that the future of China-Sabah cooperation will be even better,” said the Chief Minister.
He also said China has set a good example for the vast number of developing countries and emerging economies.
“Sabah and China have had a long history of good relations. “We have made remarkable progress in exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
“More Chinese companies set foot in Sabah, bringing capital and technology to this State,” he said.
The Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide, delivered a video message to wish the motherland a happy birthday, wish China more prosperity, and wish for lasting friendship between China and Sabah forever.
Liang said in the battle against the centenary pandemic, China upholds the concept of building a community of common health for mankind, continues to carry out the largest foreign humanitarian assistance since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It took the lead in implementing the world’s largest vaccine cooperation, and made important contributions to the world in anti-pandemic and forming immune barrier.
“2021 is also a year of fruitful achievements in terms of China-Malaysia and China-Sabah cooperation.
Since the beginning of this year, China and Malaysia have accelerated the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, actively carried out vaccine cooperation and joint prevention and control in anti-pandemic,” he said.
In the first half of the year, he said the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached US$81.79 billion, a year-on-year increase of 43.9%, setting a new historical record; non-financial direct investment by Chinese companies in Malaysia was US$800 million, a year-on-year increase of 76.3%. As an important node of the “Maritime Silk Road” in the 21st century, he said Sabah is an ideal investment hot spot for Chinese companies.
“This year marks the first year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, and the Sabah state government has also issued the “Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan 2021-2025”. China and Sabah can synergize in-depth connectivity in many fields such as infrastructure construction, digital economy, and modern agriculture so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results,” said the consul general.
He added the Chinese Consulate General will continue to work closely with the government of Sabah-Labuan to further enhance the level of exchanges and cooperation between the two places in various fields, and benefit the peoples of the two places.