China has welcomed Malaysia as the country of honour in the 23rd China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair (CLITF), which kicked off today until July 9.
Member of the Standing Committee of Communist Party of China Gansu Provincial Committee Vice Governor Song Liang said Malaysia was chosen as the country of honour in this year's edition due to its tremendous support for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) mooted by Chinese President, Xi Jinping in 2013.
BRI is a development strategy that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among various countries apart from boosting trade between them by providing infrastructure such as ports, railways, and highways.
"BRI provides an important platform and unlimited business opportunities between Gansu Province and Malaysia.
"I really hope that we could strengthen the relationship with our counterpart in Malaysia and thus achieve our common goal in the future," he said in his speech during the Malaysia-China (Gansu) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference held on the sidelines of CLITF in Lanzhou.
Also present were Second International Trade and Industry Minister, Ong Ka Chuan; Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros; Malaysia Investment Development Authority CEO, Azman Mahmud; and Malaysian Palm Oil Board Deputy Director-General, Dr Lim Weng Soon.
Lanzhou, an industrial city of about three million people, is the capital city of northwest China's Gansu province and located about 1,505 kilometres southwest of Beijing.
Meanwhile, Ong in his speech stressed the importance of BRI as it could enhance connectivity between the countries involved.
Ong, who led the Malaysian delegation to promote halal products and services at the event, noted that the BRI was anticipated to create boundless opportunities through joint cooperation, shared interests, and benefits.
"Therefore, there is a bright future of enhancing trade between Malaysia and the Gansu Province as both governments are participants of the initiative," he said, adding that Malaysia also looked at Gansu as a bridge to connect the country with other provinces in China.
A total of 90 representatives from 31 Malaysian companies and various Malaysian government organisations are taking part in the four-day event.
Earlier, Ong launched the Malaysia Pavilion that was erected to honour Malaysia as a host country in CLITF that showcase and promote Malaysian halal sectors comprising food and beverages, healthcare tourism and tourism services, among others.
Themed ‘Jointly Advancing BRI to Promote Mutual-Winning Cooperation’ and focusing on ‘openness, pioneering, cooperation and development’, this year’s edition thoroughly implements the BRI.
Delegations from 10 national ministries, cities and regions from 25 provinces in China, 32 foreign governments, and 4,000 enterprises worldwide are taking part in CLITF that is held at the Gansu International Convention and Exhibition Centre, here.
Since its inception in 1993, CLITF has grown into a significant economic and trade exchanges platform for Belt and Road countries and serves as an important bridge for promoting strategically emerging industries. - Bernama
