China’s Consulate-General in Kota Kinabalu has expressed support for revisiting sister-city partnerships to strengthen tourism, cultural and economic ties with Sabah, including exploring new areas of collaboration.
Its Consul-General, Dr Zhu Xinglong, said maintaining strong and continuous links can bring mutual benefits, including opportunities for knowledge exchange, community development and sustainable growth.
He said this during a meeting with Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai to discuss efforts to deepen Sabah–China relations and expand mutually beneficial partnerships.
Joniston said efforts to revitalise these ties are timely as Sabah positions itself as a competitive and sustainable tourism destination with growing investment potential.
He said deeper engagement would support long-term growth while creating more opportunities for local communities and industry players.
Joniston noted that Kota Kinabalu City Hall (KKCH) had signed friendship city agreements with Heyuan in 2010, Jiangmen in 2012, Wuhan in 2015, as well as Hangzhou and Xi’an in 2019.
China remains one of Sabah’s key tourism markets, consistently recording the highest number of international arrivals.
In January this year, Sabah recorded 54,102 visitor arrivals from China. Last year, the state welcomed a total of 657,528 Chinese visitors.
Sabah is currently linked to eight cities in China through direct flights.
Zhu also suggested that Sabah establish a tourism and cultural office in Beijing to strengthen promotion and outreach in the Chinese market.
Both sides highlighted tourism as a key pillar under the Sabah Maju Jaya development agenda, noting that continued collaboration could contribute to economic growth and community development.
Zhu also shared views on tourism-driven development, including community upliftment initiatives, adding that continued exchange of knowledge and best practices, particularly in poverty alleviation through tourism, could offer useful insights for both sides.
