KUCHING: Efforts to boost ties between Sarawak and China have gained traction with both parties expressing enthusiasm for collaboration, including the prospect of forging a Friendship City relationship.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor, Datuk Wee Hong Seng, welcomed a delegation from Xindu District, Chengdu, China, led by its Deputy District Mayor, Hu Ian, recently.
In a statement on Tuesday (April 29), MBKS said the visit was aimed at exploring potential avenues for cooperation between the two cities.
“The discussion was centered around strengthening ties in areas such as business, cultural exchange, youth development, economic collaboration, crafts and gastronomy.
“Both sides expressed strong enthusiasm for establishing future cooperation, including the prospect of forging a Friendship City relationship to foster deeper exchanges and mutual growth,” it said.
Wee highlighted the importance of this engagement, expressing a strong desire to deepen the friendship through practical collaborations.
He proposed initiatives, such as mutual business matching programmes to boost trade and investment, cultural exchange programmes to enhance people-to-people ties, youth development platforms to nurture future leaders, joint exhibitions to promote crafts and gastronomy, and knowledge-sharing initiatives on sustainable urban development and creative industries.
He emphasised that friendship between cities must be nurtured through active and continuous engagement, and welcomed Xindu District’s keen interest in working closely with Kuching South.
“Kuching South is committed to building meaningful partnerships that will benefit not just the two cities economically, but also culturally and socially.
”The visit marked an important step towards building stronger ties between Kuching South and Xindu, promising fruitful collaborations in the years to come,” he said.
The Xindu delegation also visited Fuya Energy Sdn Bhd, where discussions focused on exploring industrial collaboration opportunities, as well as the Borneo Cultures Museum and Sarawak Craft Council.
