Matrade to host China-Asean Expo in Nanjing this Sept 17-21
Wee (centre), flanked by Mohammad Medan on his right and Xing, in a photo call at the promotional conference. — Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad
KUCHING (May 29): The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) will be hosting the 22nd China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) from Sept 17-21 in Nanjing, China.
For this year's expo, Matrade will focus on organising the participation of 100 high-potential enterprises in six major areas, namely food and beverage; lifestyle; medical health; digital; green energy; and innovative technology, which are in line with the global development trend, said Matrade board member Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah.
'In order to enhance the effectiveness of Malaysia's participation in the 22nd China-Asean Expo, we will hold a number of activities, including precise matchmaking events at the Malaysian National Pavilion, potential buyer selection meetings, and joint live broadcasts with local internet celebrities to promote Malaysian products,' he said at a promotional conference here yesterday.
He said the expo has always been an important strategic platform for Malaysia to showcase itself to the world as a strong exporting country, an investment hot spot and vibrant tourism hub.
'CAEXPO brings together 10 Asean countries, China, and other Belt and Road partners to continuously deepen trade exchanges, investment cooperation and regional collaborative development.'
He revealed that over 2,000 Malaysian companies have participated in the expo through Matrade since first joining in 2004, with a cumulative export sales exceeding RM66.9 billion.
'Many of these companies have successfully entered the Chinese market, which strongly proves the practical value of this platform,' he said, adding that China has remained Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years since 2009 and currently ranks as the third-largest export market.
According to him, bilateral trade between Malaysia and China strongly rebounded in 2024 – achieving a year-on-year growth of 7.5 per cent, accounting for 16.8 per cent of Malaysia's total foreign trade.
'The bilateral trade between Malaysia and China from Jan to April 2025 alone was RM161.98 billion (approximately US$36.47 billion), with exports amounting to RM56.98 billion (approximately US$12.83 billion), driven primarily by electrical and electronic products.
'During the same period, imports from China reached RM105 billion (approximately US$23.64 billion), mainly consisting of intermediate goods,' he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said China has emerged as one of Sarawak's most important trade and investment partners.
'Our relationship is underpinned by increasing bilateral trade, robust cooperation in infrastructure and development, and consistent people-to-people exchanges that have nurtured a strong foundation of goodwill and shared vision,' he said in his speech read by Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng.
Dr Sim noted this year's expo signified more than just a gathering of stakeholders, and reflected the enduring spirit of collaboration between Sarawak, Malaysia and China – a relationship that is friendly, vibrant and resilient.
'I encourage China and Sarawakian businesses here to leverage this platform not only to explore emerging markets but to forge new collaborations, cross-border investments, and win-win partnerships,' he said.
Also present at the event was Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Kuching Xing Weiping, who reaffirmed that CAEXPO would continue to provide a stage for exchanges and reciprocal cooperation between enterprises and introduce more Malaysian quality products including specialty goods from Sarawak into the Chinese market.
'We hope that through this roadshow, Chinese and Malaysian enterprises in Sarawak can have good exchanges and seize market opportunities, investment, and growth opportunities brought by China-Asean Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 to develop an open an inclusive China-Asean trade and economic relations with greater mutual benefit,' he said. CAEXPO China China-Asean Expo lead Matrade
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
22 minutes ago
- The Star
Kenyans dominate jungle race
Winners and participants at the close of the 2025 Kemuyang Nature Challenge. TWO Kenyan athletes claimed top honours at the 2025 Kemuyang Nature Challenge in Sibu, Sarawak where 300 runners participated. Samson Kamal, 29, dominated the 9km Men's Open category, finishing in 47:40. His compatriot Kabui Teresial, 22, won the 9km Women's Open category, completing the race in 51:50. They each received RM2,000 in prize money for their achievements. A delighted Samson shared that the prize money was timely. 'We'll be using it to purchase our flight tickets home from Kuala Lumpur. 'A one-way ticket costs around RM2,000 each,' said Samson, who recently graduated with a degree in Business Economics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Kabui, who pursued the same course, also graduated from UKM. (Below) Kabui (left) and Samson showing their prizes in Sibu. Reflecting on the race, Kabui described it as 'tough', adding she had to give her all. Samson said he enjoyed the event and praised the trail. 'This is our first time winning a jungle trekking event in Malaysia. 'We learnt about the competition from a Malaysian friend in Sandakan,' he said. Samson added that both he and Kabui are marathon runners and will undergo intensive training at home before entering their next race. Meanwhile, local runners Lim Siet Fah and Teo Lian Geok expressed disappointment over their performance, citing changes in the format. 'In the previous competition in December 2023, it was primarily jungle trekking. 'This time, it was 50% road running and 50% jungle trekking. 'My strength lies in jungle trekking, so it put me at a disadvantage,' said Lim, a vocational school teacher from Kuching. Teo echoed Lim's sentiments. Lim, the 2023 Women's Open category champion, finished third this time. Teo secured second place in the 7km Women's Veteran category. In the Men's Open category, second place went to Belfon Mosolan (RM1,500) and third to Saidi Suni (RM1,000). For the Women's Open, second place was claimed by Luk Teck Bing (RM1,500) with Lim Siet Fah in third (RM1,000). Winners of the 7km Men's Veteran category were Hardy Suntol (RM1,000), Chu Chat Shan (RM700) and Lee Kok Eng (RM500), while in the 7km Women's Veteran category, the top three were Lim Set Hiang (RM1,000), Teo Lian Geok (RM700) and Lee Leh Ha (RM500). Sarawal Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Ministry representative Zulkanain Ismail presented the prizes.
The Star
33 minutes ago
- The Star
SMEs urged to grab chance to grow
Mohd Jafni (second from left) speaking with Tey (centre, in white) and hawkers and petty traders who received tents from the state government during a ceremony at Johor Baru City Council. MICRO businesses as well as small and medium enterprises (SME) are urged to seize opportunities that come with the development of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said JS-SEZ had the potential to contribute an additional US$28bil (about RM120bil) to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. He said the initiative spanning 11 key economic sectors was expected to see the start of about 50 projects in the first five years, with the number of projects going up to 100 in 10 years. 'This shows that JS-SEZ has many opportunities for SME and micro businesses to grab,' he said. The 11 key economic sectors under the JS-SEZ are manufacturing, logistics, food security, business services, tourism, energy, digital economy, green economy, financial services, education and health. During an interview, Mohd Jafni added that the state government, through its 16 local councils, had also been clamping down on the abuse of business licences to ensure that locals benefit from the economic activities. 'We have been running joint operations regularly to go after those abusing business licences, such as illegally renting them to foreigners,' he said. 'We want to ensure that the right people benefit from the state's development and this is the Johor government's priority.' Mohd Jafni highlighted that SMEs contributed 37% of the country's GDP and generated about 48% of the nation's workforce including in sectors such as services, manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. 'The state government recently distributed 6,000 units of tents worth RM3mil to petty traders and SME for the year.' He said the state government had also been collaborating with Bank Rakyat to assist businesses through the BR Johor Niaga financial scheme. As of March 31, 644 entrepreneurs had been accepted for the scheme, which had disbursed more than RM43.2mil since it was launched on March 22, 2023. The scheme allows eligible applicants to receive interest-free funding of between RM5,000 and RM50,000. The interest is fully borne by the state government. Johor Baru Small Business Association president Tey Tian Hwang urged eligible entrepreneurs to apply for the zero-interest scheme to upgrade and improve their businesses. 'SMEs, including hawkers and mobile traderswho are looking forward to the JS-SEZ implementation, should make plans to upgrade their businesses and uplift their services and image. 'With more developments, there will naturally be a higher demand for goods and services, which SMEs will stand to benefit from,' he said. Tey added that next year's Visit Johor Year promotion and completion of the Rapid Transit System Link, connecting Johor and Singapore by rail, would further boost the economy.
New Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
China rolls out Asean Visa for 10 Asean countries and Timor-Leste
BEIJING: China has rolled out an Asean Visa for the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Asean observer Timor-Leste, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The ministry's spokesperson, Lin Jian, said this new programme offers five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible applicants visiting China for business purposes and their spouses as well as children, granting a maximum stay of 180 days. "For anyone with more specific questions on visas to China, they are welcome to contact our diplomatic and consular missions in their countries," he said in a statement yesterday. He said the initiative was to further facilitate cross-border travels in the region, on top of the visa-free arrangement between China and countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and China's 'Lancang-Mekong visas' programme for Mekong countries. In recent years, he noted that China and Asean have advanced the building of a community with a shared future. "Visits between the people of China and Southeast Asian countries have been frequent. "There is a mutual hope to further ease travel between the two sides," he pointed out. He also said that the growing 'visa-free list' shows China's firm resolve in expanding high-level opening up. "The various measures China has taken to ease cross-border travel are all part of China's concrete action to create an open global economy," he explained. Adding to the proof, Lin said in the first quarter of this year, China received over nine million visits by foreigners, up by over 40 per cent year-on-year. "And in the first four months, more than 18,000 foreign-invested companies were established in China, up by 12.1 per cent year-on-year," he said. He further said that China will continue to improve entry policies and add more countries to the visa-free list.
