STATE Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Phoong Jin Zhe said his recent working visit to China has laid good fundamentals and established important bilateral relations to attract more beneficial investments for Sabah.
“We are focused on further developing the industrial chain and also building a complete industrial ecosystem,” he said in a statement.
While in China, the Minister visited SBH Kibing’s factory in Zhangzhou as the manufacturing factory would be identical with the factory that is about to operate in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The Kibing Solar group is one of the most prestigious companies in China producing photovoltaic glass for solar panels.
“We shared our aspirations to the Kibing group that we hope to see more Sabahans being employed at the Sabah branch during our luncheon with local Sabahans that were sent to Zhangzhou for training earlier.
“This is also in line with my ambitions to witness more skill and technology transfer to our youths as we develop our industries,” said Phoong.
The Luyang Assemblyman said China is also very dedicated to going green and reducing carbon emissions while developing green and new energy sources.
During the visit, Phoong also discussed with the management teams of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) and China Tianying (CNTY) to look into renewable energy investments.
CEEC had earlier paid a courtesy visit to Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
“CEEC has shared with regarding several proposals on developing clean energy such as hydro, solar and others.
“While CNTY shared with us their technology on converting waste to energy (WtE) and also energy vaults.
“As our neighbours, Sarawak is already looking into developing hydrogen power plants, we must not lag behind and miss the opportunity to explore more clean and renewable energy sources,” he said.
Other than meeting with ongoing investors, Phoong was also invited to visit the Trade Development Bureau (TDB) of People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Commerce and was warmly received by its Director Wu ZhengPing.
Wu was happy to receive the delegation from Sabah and also extended an official invitation to Phoong to attend China’s Sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Phoong was also invited to visit the Embassy of Malaysia in Beijing, China. He also paid a visit to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)’s Global Office in Beijing.
“It is important for us to work closely with federal agencies aboard, it is also interesting to learn that MIDA Beijing Director Wong Tiang Sing is also a local Sabahan. We look forward to more collaborations in the near future,” he said.
The delegation led by the Minister included the Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry (MIDE) Permanent Secretary Datuk Thomas Logijin, Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ir Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid and POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Fredian Gan.
The delegation also comprised representatives of KKIP, Sipitang Oil and Gas Development Corporation (SOGDC) and Sabah Energy Corporation (SEC).
They visited two major cities in China, including Xiamen and the capital, Beijing.
Phoong also extended his sincerest gratitude to Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu, Huang Shifang for assisting the delegation and making his five-day trip to China a successful one.
