Efforts to promote Sabah under Visit Malaysia 2026 received a boost as the state is expected to reach millions of Chinese listeners and viewers through Jiangmen Radio and Television.
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin invited people from Jiangmen and across China to visit Malaysia.
He made the call when officiating the 52nd anniversary of Malaysia–China diplomatic relations, the Chinese New Year celebration and the Chinese Martial Arts Overseas Communication Friendship Showcase featuring a delegation from Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, at Kian Kok Middle School.
Chan said Malaysia was the first ASEAN country to recognise the People’s Republic of China following the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1974.
He added that China has remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
“Our cooperation spans manufacturing, electronics, agriculture, infrastructure, industrial parks, renewable energy, the digital economy and high technology.
Under the Belt and Road framework, people-to-people exchanges play a crucial role,” he said.
Deputy Consul-General of China in Kota Kinabalu Xue Xiaoning said Guangdong has long been a cradle of martial arts, with southern styles and generations of masters upholding the spirit of righteousness and courage.
She said Choy Li Fut, a national intangible cultural heritage widely practised in Jiangmen, integrates the strengths of southern fists and northern kicks and is characterised by expansive movements and powerful momentum.
It is among the most widely practised martial arts styles in China and overseas.
Xue said the overseas martial arts promotion programme includes hands-on cultural workshops led personally by two intangible cultural heritage inheritors from Jiangmen, involving more than 40 participants.
She added that the core philosophy of Chinese martial arts is using martial virtue to stop violence, promoting peace, justice and inclusiveness, values that resonate with Malaysia’s multicultural harmony.
Malaysia–China Friendship Association Sabah president Dr Oh Ei Sun said that over the past half-century, both countries have upheld the principles of mutual respect, equality and non-interference while continuously deepening cooperation.
He said cooperation has produced results in political trust, trade and commerce, cultural exchange and educational cooperation.
In recent years, exchanges have become increasingly vibrant, including cultural performances, academic collaborations, student exchanges, business partnerships, investments and trade cooperation, strengthening understanding and friendship between the two nations.
