By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 25: Sarawak is welcoming greater cooperation with Chinese companies, universities and institutions, particularly those seeking to expand their presence in the wider ASEAN region, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said.
He said Sarawak’s strategic location in the heart of Borneo and within ASEAN, coupled with its renewable energy resources, improving connectivity, digital infrastructure and growing industrial base, positioned the State to participate more actively in regional supply chains.
“We therefore welcome greater cooperation with Chinese companies and institutions that are looking towards ASEAN for their next phase of growth,” he said in his speech read by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian at a dinner marking the 77th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China at a hotel here last night (Sept 24).
The remarks come as Sarawak seeks to deepen its economic transformation under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the Sarawak 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for 2026-2030.
Abang Johari said China remained an important partner for Sarawak, with Chinese strengths in advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, digital technology, infrastructure and innovation complementing the State’s development priorities.
He said there was particularly strong potential for cooperation in the green economy as Sarawak builds on its hydropower resources while developing opportunities in hydrogen, solar energy, energy storage and other clean technologies.
“Chinese expertise and technological capabilities can complement Sarawak’s resources and ambitions, while Sarawak can provide a strategic platform for businesses seeking opportunities in the ASEAN region,” he said.
However, Abang Johari stressed that Sarawak’s objective was not simply to attract investment, but to build an ecosystem in which investment generates technology transfer, develops local capabilities, strengthens supply chains and creates quality employment for Sarawakians.
He said this was consistent with Sarawak’s broader aim of moving from a resource-based economy towards a higher-value, technology-driven and more diversified economy.
On industrial development, he said there was considerable scope for greater cooperation between Chinese companies and Sarawak’s private sector, given China’s extensive experience in industrial development and building integrated economic ecosystems.
Sarawak, he added, welcomed partnerships that would enable local companies, particularly small and medium enterprises, to participate in new value chains.
At the same time, he encouraged Sarawak businesses to look beyond the State and explore opportunities in the Chinese market.
“A successful partnership should benefit both sides,” he said.
Abang Johari also highlighted education, skills development, research and innovation as important components of the State’s economic transformation.
He said Sarawak saw considerable potential for greater collaboration with Chinese universities, research institutions and technology companies in areas including artificial intelligence, healthcare, engineering, renewable energy and biotechnology.
Such partnerships, he said, would also give Sarawakian youth international exposure and help them acquire the skills needed to participate in the future economy.
Abang Johari also highlighted the longstanding people-to-people ties between Sarawak and China, noting that the Chinese community had been an integral part of Sarawak’s history and development for generations.
He said its contributions to commerce, industry, education, professional services and community development had helped shape Sarawak.
The relationship had since expanded beyond traditional trade and commerce to include energy, infrastructure, technology, education, healthcare, tourism and investment.
“This reflects an important principle of Sarawak’s international engagement: we welcome partnerships that create shared value and contribute meaningfully to the development of our people,” he said.
Abang Johari also conveyed his congratulations to the Chinese Government and people on the anniversary and expressed appreciation to the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching for its efforts to strengthen relations between China and Sarawak.
Meanwhile, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, Xing Weiping, said China is ready to be a sincere partner to Sarawak and contribute towards the State’s development goals for 2030.
“We welcome friends from all walks of life in Sarawak to visit China more often, and we look forward to more Chinese enterprises investing and doing business in Sarawak,” he said.
Xing said the development of China-Malaysia relations would not have been possible without Sarawak’s contribution, adding that Sarawak was increasingly becoming a model of friendly cooperation and win-win outcomes between China and Malaysia.
He highlighted several tangible projects and areas of cooperation, including the Batang Lupar Bridge, which he said had ended ferry-dependent travel for local residents, and the successful trial planting of perennial rice from Yunnan in Miri.
“Cooperation between China and Sarawak in infrastructure, new energy, urban transportation, digital economy, education and healthcare continues to intensify, delivering tangible benefits to Sarawak’s economic development, livelihood improvement and youth employment,” he said.
Xing said China and Sarawak should continue to strengthen project-based cooperation while keeping improvements to people’s livelihoods as an important benchmark.
“Let us take project cooperation as our bond and livelihood improvement as our benchmark so as to write the next splendid chapter of China-Malaysia (Sarawak) cooperation,” he said. — DayakDaily
