On October 17th, the 14th Malaysia-China Entrepreneurs Conference took place in Kuala Lumpur, drawing the attention of nearly a thousand entrepreneurs to the vast cooperative opportunities between China and Malaysia.
Among the hot topics discussed was the recent export of fresh durians from Malaysia to China. Sun Shuqing, the Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, shared an inspiring story during his address at the conference. He recounted that in August, the head of Malaysia’s agricultural department visited China and witnessed firsthand the overwhelming popularity and booming sales of “Mao Shan Wang,” a variety of fresh durian, at a local supermarket. He emphasized that in 2023, the Chinese durian import market reached an impressive $7.82 billion, while imports of frozen durians from Malaysia were only $273 million, representing just 3.4%. This indicates significant potential for agricultural trade cooperation between the two countries, with promising prospects ahead.
During the conference, Malaysian MP Qiu Peidong read a speech on behalf of Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Chen Hongjian, who extended an invitation to Chinese entrepreneurs to experience Malaysian durians. Chen also championed other Malaysian agricultural products, highlighting that last year, exports of palm oil and related products made up over 10% of Malaysia’s total exports to China. In the first eight months of this year, Malaysia’s palm oil exports to China reached nearly 900,000 tons, showing further growth compared to the same period last year. He noted that as trade relations deepen between Malaysia and China, the demand for Malaysian agricultural products, including palm oil, continues to thrive, with China emerging as one of Malaysia’s key export markets.
Attending the conference were Amirudin Shari, the Chief Minister of the economically advanced Selangor state, and Executive Member Huang Sihan, who both welcomed Chinese investments across various sectors. Amirudin specifically mentioned opportunities in electronics, machinery, transportation, food and beverage, life sciences, and artificial intelligence. Huang Sihan elaborated on the favorable investment environment in Selangor, further highlighting the upcoming second integrated circuit design park aimed at attracting Chinese businesses to support the state’s semiconductor development.
Beyond economic and trade cooperation, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liu Zhendong emphasized the importance of enhancing civilizational dialogue and ideological exchanges between Malaysian and Chinese communities. During the evening banquet, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Loke Siew Fook, enthusiastically promoted Malaysia as a rich travel destination, noting the visa-free convenience between the two countries. He expressed hope that collaboration in tourism, in addition to economic trade, would strengthen the connection and exchange between the people of Malaysia and China.
The Malaysia-China Entrepreneurs Conference, organized by the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce, has evolved from its original name, the Malaysia China Import and Export Merchants Association, reflecting the increasingly diverse nature of economic cooperation between the two countries. During the conference, Chamber President Lu Guoxiang stated that Malaysia and China are experiencing positive growth across multiple sectors, and the Chamber intends to continue serving as a “bridge” for these collaborations. He mentioned that the cooperation memorandums signed during the conference are expected to involve over 1.2 billion ringgit (approximately $277 million).
Sun Shuqing also noted that some member companies of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce have been engaged in bilateral trade for over 50 years, contributing to the foundation of commerce between the two nations. He highlighted that the vibrant economic sectors recently in focus are also crucial for enhancing Malaysia-China trade relations, which mutually benefit each other’s economic growth.