On December 28, Consul General of China in Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide, paid a courtesy call to Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor and donated anti-epidemic materials to the State government. Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views on deepening anti-pandemic cooperation, resumption and strengthen post-pandemic cooperation in various fields between China and Sabah.
Liang Caide firstly congratulated YAB on his appointment as the Chief Minister of Sabah. He believed that the new state government will lead the people of Sabah to overcome the epidemic soon and achieve steady economic and social development. Liang Caide pointed out that in the year 2020, China and Sabah have always helped each other, shared weal and woe, and jointly faced the severe challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The friendship between China and Sabah has been further enhanced through the test of the epidemic. The Embassy of China in Malaysia and the Consulate General of China in Kota Kinabalu jointly donated 50,000 masks to Sabah state government, mainly to express China’s firm support for Sabah’s fight against the pandemic and the determination of China and Sabah to help each other in overcoming difficulties together.
Liang Caide said that Sabah is an important node of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". Its strategic geographical location and rich resources are unique advantages and has great potentials for cooperation with China. In recent years, the China-Sabah cooperation in various fields have made significant and pragmatic progress. Many Chinese enterprises have set foot on Sabah. Currently the epidemic situation in Sabah has eased. It is believed that after the pandemic, China-Sabah cooperation will enter a period of rapid growth. In addition to conventional cooperation areas such as tourism, real estate, and infrastructure construction, it can be further extended to other areas such as advanced technology, telecommunications, agriculture and fishery. I believe that more Chinese companies will invest in Sabah. The Consulate General is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with the Chief Minister and Sabah State Government, work together to promote the resumption of China-Sabah cooperation as soon as possible in opening a new chapter of post-pandemic cooperation.
YAB gladly recalled his visit to the Consulate General as the Minister of Local Government and Housing of Sabah two years ago, and expressed his sincere gratitude to China for the assistance provided to Sabah’s economic development in recent years, especially the strong support provided to Sabah’s fight against the epidemic. He thanked the Chinese Embassy and Consulate General for donating masks to the Sabah government and hopes that China and Sabah will continue to strengthen cooperation in vaccines and other areas to jointly defeat the pandemic. YAB pointed out that the government has recently established an economic council to study and formulate plans and measures to promote the recovery and development of Sabah’s economy. He hopes to learn from China, welcome more Chinese tourists to visit Sabah and more Chinese companies to invest in Sabah after the pandemic. The government looks forward to maintaining close communication with the Chinese Consulate on cooperation in various fields between China and Sabah.