Deputy Minister: Malaysia promotes high-value palm derivatives in global market
Chan (third left) and others at a pre-council meeting ahead of the China (Chongqing)-Malaysia Industry Cooperation Dialogue.
KUCHING (May 25): Malaysia is promoting high-value palm derivatives such as red palm oil, palm stearin and palm-based ice cream powder in the global market, said Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
The Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities said joint research and development (R&D) initiatives are underway with food companies in Sichuan and Chongqing, targeting applications in hotpot soup bases, spicy snacks and sustainable personal care products.
'As China pursues its vision of a shared future for mankind, Malaysia is proud to work alongside it—using palm oil as a bridge to promote regional green growth and sustainable development,' he said in a statement today.
The statement was issued following the China (Chongqing)-Malaysia Industry Cooperation Dialogue, which was successfully held in Chongqing last Thursday, with a strong focus on expanding collaboration in palm oil trade, technological innovation and the development of sustainable supply chains.
The dialogue was a highlight of the 7th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT), reaffirming Chongqing's strategic role within the Malaysia-China green value chain.
Over 40 representatives from leading enterprises in food processing, condiments, personal care and oil refining industries attended the event for targeted business matching and dialogue.
In his keynote address, Chan emphasised the growing global momentum toward green development, highlighting palm oil's potential as a critical bridge for regional cooperation.
According to him, Malaysia is eager to leverage its Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification—one of the world's highest sustainability standards—to strengthen institutional linkages with China in areas such as carbon labelling, biofuels and green materials.
'Together, we can build a supply network that is not only efficient and innovative but also environmentally responsible.'
Chan noted the vast market potential in western China, with Chongqing acting as a central hub in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
He explained that this logistical advantage allows Malaysian palm oil to efficiently reach inland provinces such as Sichuan, Guizhou and Shaanxi via the Qinzhou Port-Chongqing route.
Chan announced that Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co Ltd had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the development of a strategic palm oil supply chain covering western China.
In addition, Malaysia is collaborating with Chongqing Jiaotong University to develop palm oil-based polyurethane acrylate for anticorrosive coating—broadening the scope of palm-based chemicals in China's industrial sector, he said.
The dialogue concluded with a high-level roundtable on 'The Future of China's Palm Oil Industry Amid Global Oils and Fats Trends', moderated by Zhou Shiyong, president of Beijing Heyirong Co Ltd, featuring robust discussion on trade trends, sustainability certification, technological innovation and policy frameworks.
This successful industry dialogue not only strengthened Malaysia-China collaboration across the palm oil value chain but also injected fresh momentum into building a green, efficient and mutually beneficial regional supply network—marking a new chapter in bilateral economic cooperation, the statement added. Chan Foong Hin China high-value palm derivatives lead
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
China says it will speed up rare earths exports to EU firms
China suspended exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets last month. (EPA Images pic) SHANGHAI : China is willing to accelerate the examination and approval of rare earth exports to European Union firms and will also deliver a verdict on its trade investigation of EU brandy imports by July 5, its commerce ministry said today. Price commitment consultations between China and the EU on Chinese-made electric vehicles exported to the EU have also entered a final stage but efforts from both sides are still needed, according to a statement on the Chinese commerce ministry's website. The issues were discussed between Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao and EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Paris on Tuesday, according to the statement. The comments mark progress on matters that have vexed China's relationship with the European Union over the past year. Most recently, China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets has upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. The ministry said China attached great importance to the EU's concerns and 'was willing to establish a green channel for qualified applications to speed up the approval process'. Commerce minister Wang during the meeting 'expressed the hope that the EU will meet us halfway and take effective measures to facilitate, safeguard and promote compliant trade in high-tech products to China', according to the statement. Chinese anti-dumping measures that applied duties of up to 39% on imports of European brandy – with French cognac bearing the brunt – have also strained relations between Paris and Beijing. The brandy duties were enforced days after the European Union took action against Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to shield its local industry, prompting France's President Emmanuel Macron to accuse Beijing of 'pure retaliation'. The Chinese duties have dented sales of brands including LVMH's Hennessy, Pernod Ricard's Martell and Remy Cointreau. Beijing was initially meant to make a final decision on the brandy duties by January, but extended the deadline to April and then again to July 5. China's commerce ministry said today that French companies and relevant associations had proactively submitted applications on price commitments for brandy to China and that Chinese investigators had reached an agreement with them on the core terms. Chinese authorities were now reviewing the complete text on those commitments and would issue a final announcement before July 5, it said. In April, the European Commission said the EU and China had also agreed to look into setting minimum prices of Chinese-made electric vehicles instead of tariffs imposed by the EU last year. China's commerce ministry said the EU had also proposed exploring 'new technical paths' relating to EVs, which the Chinese side was now evaluating.
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Hong Kong's still ‘over' but Stephen Roach says city a surprise trade war winner
American economist Stephen Roach has said that Hong Kong has benefited from the US-China trade war despite last year having declared the city to be 'over', even as he claimed that other aspects of the financial hub had worsened. The former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman sparked debate last year after he penned an opinion piece which argued, in part, that Hong Kong would be caught in the 'crossfire' of the worsening US-China rivalry. 'The word caught is the word that, if I had to write the piece again, I would probably change, because I think, ironically, Hong Kong has benefited from the crossfire between the US and China,' he told the Post in a recent interview. Despite worsening ties between the two superpowers since US President Donald Trump began levying his so-called reciprocal tariffs on China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong's stock market has seen solid gains. The benchmark Hang Seng Index is up by around 50 per cent since Roach made his original claim, while Hong Kong has rocketed to the top of the global fundraising table following a string of high-profile initial public offerings last month, including from mainland Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology. Roach, who is now a faculty member at Yale University, said the 'sell America' trade had become a 'global mantra' and Hong Kong was a beneficiary. But asked whether he felt his initial assessment of the city being 'over' was premature, he noted he would say the same again. 'No economy or city state is over ... but this image of a dynamic, powerful system as part of the 'one country, two systems' model, I think that's just as close to being over today as it was when I originally wrote the piece,' he said, referring to the city's governing principle. 'The governance story is still, I think, very much working against this notion of Hong Kong as a free, independent, autonomous city state. If anything, it's gotten worse.' Roach added that the strong performance of the city's stock market had 'instilled sort of a new swagger in Hong Kong bordering on denial'. He said there were 'questions that could be raised' about the city's independent rule of law, pointing to the departure of foreign non-permanent judges. He also raised concerns about the fast-tracking of the domestic national security law last year and what he described as continuing efforts to 'quash dissent'. While the Hong Kong government had 'risen to the challenge' to demonstrate to the world that the city should be considered 'special', American investors in particular had developed an 'unwillingness' to distinguish it from the rest of China, he said. 'Where I've come out, reluctantly, is that as great a city as Hong Kong is, it's just another big Chinese city,' he said. 'I think it's increasingly a one country, one system model with a solid financial capital raising infrastructure embedded in Hong Kong.' Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who previously hit back at Roach over his 'Hong Kong is over' remarks, maintained that the American economist did not understand the city. She said the 'pessimistic views' Roach expressed last year 'were primarily based on the Hong Kong stock market's poor performance'. 'He overlooked China's strength in technological innovations and Hong Kong's unique advantages based on its separate systems. We are the only part of China that can invest, manage and provide trading platforms for digital assets.' She cited the city's recently passed law on stablecoins, which she said would help Hong Kong be the country's 'testing ground' for cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency token that maintain a fixed value by being pegged to a reference asset, typically fiat currencies such as the US dollar. The law, which was passed last month and is set to take effect later this year, establishes a regulatory regime for stablecoins, paving the way for issuers to obtain licences and sell the digital assets to the public. 'Despite ongoing US-China tensions, Hong Kong will continue to have an important role to play in building bridges between China and the West,' Ip said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Issues over Petros nothing to do with Petronas layoffs, says Fadillah
Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said Petronas is relooking its entire operation because of the decline in crude oil prices. KUCHING : Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) move to trim its workforce stems from global challenges and is not connected to the national oil firm's issues with Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros). Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said Petronas's restructuring plan is necessary amid the decline in crude oil prices. He said he plans to meet with the company to get more details of the exercise. 'That (the decline in crude oil prices) is why Petronas has to relook its entire operation. I'm planning a meeting with them to get a briefing on the matter and to ensure that the number of layoffs can be reduced, if not avoided,' he told reporters attending the Aidiladha sacrificial event at Taman Hussein Mosque here today. On June 5, Petronas president and CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik Aziz said the national oil firm is cutting 10% of its workforce to cope with challenging operating conditions, particularly because of falling crude prices. He said the number of staff involved in the downsizing process stands at about 5,000, and those affected will be notified in stages next year. On May 21, the federal and state governments reached an understanding on matters involving Petronas and Petros. According to the joint declaration, Petronas will continue its functions, activities, responsibilities and obligations entrusted to the company in Malaysia under the Petroleum Development Act 1974 and its regulations. Any agreements and arrangements between Petronas and its subsidiaries with third parties for the purpose of liquefied natural gas sales from upstream operations through to LNG exports to foreign parties remain unaffected. A media statement by the Prime Minister's Office following the joint declaration said all relevant federal and state laws relating to gas distribution in Sarawak are to co-exist and be respected by all parties.
