Dr Sim: S’wak seeking greater cooperation with China’s Yunnan province

KUCHING (Jan 9): Sarawak is looking forward to more bilateral cooperation with Yunnan province in China, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

In a Facebook post following his meeting with a delegation from Yunnan yesterday (Jan 8), he said a series of bilateral events beyond government to government (G2G) basis can be held between Sarawak and Yunnan in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations this year.

He believed such events can benefit the people in both Sarawak and Yunnan, which have established a friendship for more than a decade.

“With Nanjing-Kuching direct flights in June and Shanghai-Kuching direct flights in September, (this) will greatly enhance exchanges and visits,” he said.

The meeting between Dr Sim and the Yunnan delegation led by province Deputy Secretary Shi Yugang here was also attended by China’s Consul General in Kuching Xing Weiping and Sarawak Deputy Secretary Datu Hii Chang Kee.

Dr Sim said he learnt a lot from the discussion, including about the renowned Yunnan coffee, as well as getting to know that the province is the world’s largest flower exporter, largest cigarettes producer in China, and has the country’s second largest highway infrastructure.

He also said Yunnan’s population of 48.3 million is made up of over 50 ethnic groups.

Yunnan spans approximately 394,000 square kilometres and its provincial capital is Yunming.

Apart from Yunnan, Dr Sim said the other provinces in China with friendly province-state relationships with Sarawak are Fujian and Shandong.