From Sarawak to China
A delegation from Sarawak took China by storm recently, with the launching of Sarawak’s own Pavilion at the China International Fair Trade in Service (CIFTIS) 2023, happening from September 2 to 6 at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing.
CIFTIS is the largest comprehensive exhibition in the field of global trade in services and covers 12 major sectors including transport, travel, construction, insurance services, financial services, telecommunications, computer and information services, intellectual property royalties, personal, cultural and recreational services, maintenance and repair services, other business services, processing services and government services.
On September 2, the Sarawak Pavilion at CIFTIS was launched by Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is also Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment and Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development.
“The Sarawak Pavilion at CIFTIS 2023 has received overwhelming response as visitors are attracted to the unique offerings from Sarawak ranging from the investment opportunities, culture and tourism, food and beverages as well as the educational and other services offered by Sarawak,” said Awang Tengah in a statement.
The Sarawak Pavilion is spearheaded by the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED) and features various ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP), Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak (MIPD), Ministry of Education, Innovation & Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD), Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC), Sarawak Tourism Board, Sarawak Craft Council and Business Events Sarawak.
This year’s CIFTIS features exhibitors from 59 countries and regions as well as 24 international organisations. Themed “Openness leads development, cooperation creates a win-win future”, CIFTIS 2023 provides opportunities for Sarawak to engage with influential global leaders, government officials, industry experts and potential investors, to foster business relationships, provide avenues for collaborations and further expand the state’s economic potential.
Rasa Event – Malaysia Festival
Meanwhile, on September 1, Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah officiated the first Rasa Event – Malaysia Festival in Beijing, serving as a platform for both countries to share cultures, learn from each other, foster harmony, promote exploration and build stronger ties. Organised by Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (Maycham), China Global Business Magazine and Talent Beyond Borders, the event is a testament to the strong cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia. Also present during the launching were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Datuk Sebastian Ting and Chairman of Maycham, Loh Wee Kang.
Interview with China Daily News
Yiran Zheng from China Daily News had the opportunity to interview both Abdul Karim and Sebastian Ting at the Sarawak Pavilion during CIFTIS, to talk about Sarawak as a tourism destination. During the interview, Abdul Karim introduced Sarawak’s Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF), elaborating on the state’s diverse ethnic groups, heritage and cultures. The minister also mentioned the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, which allows foreigners to stay and spend in Malaysia, particularly the state of Sarawak.
Check out the interview here: https://www.facebook.com/MTCPSWK/videos/835165921270050/
Boosting Tourism Ties
Besides launching and attending CIFTIS, the Sarawak delegates also had the chance to meet with various dignitaries, including representatives from the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, ASEAN-China Centre, Hainan Airlines as well as China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The delegates’ visit to the Malaysian Embassy was received by the Defense Attache, Laksamana Pertama Zahid Abdul Aziz, Counsellor for Political Affair, Nurul Huda Abdul Rahim and an official from the Embassy office, Taffazani Azmi.
Abdul Karim, leading the Sarawak delegates, also met up with representatives from the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Li Yaying and Yan Han at the Malaysian Embassy offices in Beijing. Together, they explored on enhancing tourism collaboration between Sarawak and ACC, with Sarawak being a leading eco-tourism and business events destination that advocates Responsible Tourism. They also discussed the possibilities of joint promotion campaigns, increased air connectivity and capacity building. The meeting concluded with ACC looking forward to enhancing cooperation to develop tourism between the two regions, especially in capacity-building fields that can benefit both China and Malaysia, especially Sarawak.
The Tourism Minister and delegates of Sarawak also paid a courtesy visit to the Office of the China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to meet with the Deputy Director General for the Department of International Exchange and Cooperation, Peng Yubin. The courtesy visit is aimed at building tourism cooperation between Sarawak and China. Subject matters discussed include facilitating travel and visitor exchange, education, policy dialogue and collaboration in tourism, arts and culture. They also discussed the possibilities of direct flights between Sarawak and China, dwelling on joint tourism campaigns as well as participation in travel events.
During the courtesy visit, Peng highlighted issues that are of utmost importance for Chinese tourists, including security and safety. To further develop mutual cooperation, China will be preparing a Memorandum of Understanding especially for tourism initiatives.
Abdul Karim also had a fruitful meeting with Hainan Airlines, particularly with the airline’s Director of Marketing and Committee, Miongqiong Chen, Manager of Charter Route Development, XiuXiu Peng and Manager for Southeast Asian Market, Bella Zhang. The meeting, which took place at the Hainan Airlines office, is aimed at promoting Sarawak to the China market. The Tourism Minister also extended an invitation to the executives to visit and experience the beauty of Sarawak for themselves.
