CHENGDU, China: Sarawak’s engagement with Sichuan Province has been described as both timely and strategic, given that the two regions share similar geographical and environmental challenges.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said Sichuan’s success in developing an extensive, award-winning road network across complex terrains offers valuable lessons for Sarawak as it continues advancing infrastructure and connectivity under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“Sichuan’s success in developing an extensive and award-winning road network across complex terrains offers valuable insights for Sarawak as we continue to advance our infrastructure and connectivity agenda under the PCDS 2030,” he said.
Uggah said this during a courtesy call and technical briefing with the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transport that was held on Monday, as part of the Sarawak delegation’s official visit to the province.
He expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by Sichuan authorities and highlighted Sarawak’s commitment to fostering closer cooperation with the province in infrastructure development, technological advancement, and sustainable connectivity.
During the session, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transport briefed the delegation on its achievements and strategies in planning, constructing and managing the province’s transport system, which covers about 418,000 kilometres of highways, including 369,000 kilometres of rural roads and 10,310 kilometres of expressways.
Despite Sichuan’s challenging terrain, the province has become a model for sustainable and technologically advanced transport systems in China, integrating green engineering practices, intelligent monitoring systems, and environmental conservation measures in its development approach.
The department also shared that its planning framework incorporates Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence (AI)-based assessment tools to identify and mitigate geological and environmental risks.
Reaffirming Sarawak’s commitment to environmental protection, Uggah said sustainability and ecological conservation remain central to the state’s development vision.
“Sichuan’s ability to harmonise infrastructure growth with environmental protection provides valuable lessons for Sarawak. We aspire to adopt and adapt such best practices to ensure that our infrastructure and road connectivity projects meet the highest ecological standards.
“This visit further reinforces Sarawak’s resolve to pursue a development pathway that balances modernisation with conservation.
“We look forward to enhancing cooperation with Sichuan to advance sustainable, smart and resilient infrastructure for the benefit of our people,” he added.
The Sichuan authorities also invited the Sarawak delegation to visit selected expressway sites and attend further briefings on construction technologies and environmental protection frameworks.
