GUANGZHOU: The annual Canton Fair held here twice a year has made the capital of the Guangdong Province renowned globally. This fair has benefited Malaysian exporters, and so has the Yiwu International Market in Zhejiang Province.

Yiwu Market is the centre for the small household items found in many Malaysian stores selling at economy prices from RM2 shops. China was Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, holding 17.1 per cent of Malaysia’s total trade as of 2023. 

Malaysia is China’s second-largest trading partner in Asean. In the first quarter of this year, trade with China expanded 3.3 per cent year-on-year to over RM112 billion.

The history goes back 600 years when China’s Admiral Zheng He visited Malacca in quest of trade and amicable ties.