China Sabah’s Largest Trading Partner and Chinese are Sabah’s Highest International Arrivals

China is Sabah’s largest trading partner and Sabah has benefitted from the remarkable progress in trade, investment, education, culture and tourism. From these economic and tourism spillovers, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said - at the 75th anniversary reception, on 24 September 2024, of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Magellan Sutera, Kota Kinabalu, that Sabah is committed to fostering stronger economic ties with China.

Hajiji noted that from economic ties, tourism with China progressed significantly. Between January and July 2024, 262,070 Chinese tourists visited Sabah, which was 37% of the total 706,383 international arrivals for the period, compared to 26,054 Chinese visitors during the same period in 2022. In 2023, the leaders of Malaysia and China jointly agreed to strengthen the Malaysia-China relationships. Sabah leaders and Chinese leaders have also pledged enhanced Sabah-China relations.

Malaysia's King recent four-day trip to China in September 2024 was another significant step in strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations. Hajiji said that Sabah leaders have discussed with economic players in China regarding opportunities for Chinese investment in green technology; high-tech agriculture; Sabah's Blue Economy; solar and storage technologies; hydro and geothermal energy; and carbon market opportunities. The CM said that Sabah will continue to identify new opportunities for Chinese investors and to explore new areas of collaboration.