By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 6: Sibu and Minqing County in Fujian Province, China, have formalised a friendship city relationship, strengthening ties between the two regions through their shared historical and cultural roots in the Foochow community.
According to a TVS report, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the agreement would create greater opportunities for cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, investment, culture and the exchange of expertise.
He said the partnership would also provide a platform for expanding business networks, promoting cultural exchanges and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two regions.
Describing Sibu, also known as ‘Little Foochow’, as having deep historical links with Minqing, Dr Sim said a significant portion of the town’s Foochow community traced their ancestry to the county, with their contributions evident in various business and commercial sectors across Sibu and Sarawak.
“We hope that through this friendship city relationship, existing cooperation can be strengthened and expanded for the benefit of future generations,” he said.
He was speaking at the signing ceremony for the establishment of the friendship city relationship between Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, and Minqing County, Fujian Province, China, held at the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) office in Wisma Sanyan yesterday.
Dr Sim said the relationship between Sibu and Minqing dates back to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on February 22, 2011, by former SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King. He added that renewing the relationship after more than 15 years was important to ensuring bilateral cooperation remained relevant to current developments.
Efforts to strengthen ties between the two regions gained further momentum following Fujian Provincial Deputy Secretary Guo Ningning’s visit to Sibu on November 28, 2025, followed by the signing of a letter of intent during an SMC delegation’s visit to Minqing County on December 14 that year.
Dr Sim also highlighted several prominent figures with ancestral links to Minqing, including Wong Nai Siong, who played a pivotal role in the historical migration of the Foochow community to Sarawak.
Others included Lau Ka Tu, Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau Lee Ming, former SMC chairman the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew, Datuk Tiong Thai King, and the late Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Dr Wong Soon Kai.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang; Advisor to the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Joseph Chieng; SMC chairman Clarence Ting; SMC deputy chairman Councillor Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar Roseley; Temenggung Dato Vincent Lau; and Minqing County Deputy Chief Liu Fengsong. – DayakDaily
