Trade and Tourism Flourish Between China and Sabah

China continues to be Sabah’s top trading partner, with the state's exports to China reaching RM7.6 billion or 19.5 per cent of Sabah’s total exports in 2023. Major exports to China are palm oil, timber, seafood, and rubber. Major imports from China are machinery, electronics, and various manufactured goods.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that the potentials and opportunities are vast such as in green technology; high-tech agriculture, smart cities, manufacturing, renewable energy, e-commerce; education; Sabah's Blue Economy in fisheries and aquaculture, logistics, tourism, renewable energy, mineral resources, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, blue carbon, waste management and pollution control, research and development, and marine infrastructure.

Hajiji shared his visions of greater trade ties with China at the opening of the Malaysia (Sabah) - Business Summit on 22 November 2024 at the Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu. The CM said that Sabah welcomed one million international visitors in 2024 and that tourists from China topped the list with 384,000.