KOTA KINABALU: China is Sabah's largest source of foreign tourists, with 262,070 of  the 706,383 international arrivals recorded from January to July this year.  

The surge was also due to the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China announced last December. China’s visitor arrivals was recorded at 26,054 of the  424,052 international arrivals for the same period last year, 

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said since tourism is a critical  driver of Sabah's economy, the State Government would continue to enhance its  business environment and upgrade tourism facilities to attract more investors and  tourists to the State. 

Speaking at the 75th anniversary reception of the founding of the People's Republic of  China at the Magellan Sutera here today, Hajiji reaffirmed Sabah's commitment to  fostering strong economic ties with China.  

"As the economic and trade cooperation between Malaysia and China continue to  progress, I look forward to more synergy in all areas of cooperation between Sabah and  China. The State Government will work closely with the Chinese Consulate General in  Kota Kinabalu to enhance and continue this cooperation," he said. 

He said the State Government placed great importance on mutually beneficial  cooperation with China and looked forward to identifying new opportunities and exploring  new areas of collaboration.  

The Chief Minister said the State Government was pleased that Sabah has remained a  sought-after destination for Chinese visitors for leisure and business.  

"Sabah has ample opportunities for investors in green technology and high-tech  agriculture, as well as mixed developments. We are also keen for Chinese investors to  explore opportunities in the State's Blue Economy.  

“Similarly, the energy sector presents significant opportunities, and while oil and gas  remain important revenue streams for Sabah, we welcome investors to also explore  solar and storage technologies, hydro, geothermal, as well as carbon market  opportunities," he said.

Hajiji said four months ago on May 31, Malaysia and China celebrated the 50th  anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.  

"Our two nations have always been good friends and enjoyed cordial relations. China is  the largest trading partner for both Malaysia and Sabah. This has contributed to much  cooperation across various sectors, bringing tangible benefits to our two nations and the  people on both sides.  

"Last year, the leaders of Malaysia and China reached an important consensus on jointly  building the Malaysia-China community with a shared future.  

"This signalled a new chapter in our bilateral relations, adding a strong impetus on  enhanced Malaysia-China and Sabah-China relations. Similarly, the King of Malaysia's  recent four-day visit to China was a significant step in strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations," he said. 

The Chief Minister is confident that Malaysia and China will have many more years of  good bilateral relations, seeing that there has been remarkable progress in cooperation  in various fields, namely trade, investment, education, culture and tourism. 

Ends