KUCHING: Sarawak is committed to working with China towards more sustainable development in various areas such as the digital economy, renewable energy, smart cities and technological innovation.

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said, this cooperation will pave the way towards a greener and more resilient future and increase economic growth.

"Sarawak expects to be a developed and high-income region driven by data and innovation by 2030.

"Therefore, we hope that bilateral relations continue to grow stronger which is expected to be one of the main driving forces for sustainable growth and prosperity," he said.

He said this while speaking at the Malaysia-China Summit (MCS) 2024 Engagement Series which took place at a leading hotel here today.

Also present were Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Kuching Xing Weiping, Malaysian Foreign Trade Corporation (MATRADE) Board Member Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah and MCS 2024 Organizer Chairman Richard Teo.

Awang Tengah said China is one of Sarawak's main trading partners where in 2023, Sarawak's exports to China such as liquefied natural gas, cooking oil and basic metals will be worth RM18.8 billion.

While imports such as machinery, manufactured goods and consumer products amounted to RM9.9 billion, he said.

In fact, he said, economic cooperation between China and Sarawak continues to grow with China's involvement in the development of hydropower, namely Bakun, Murum and Baleh, which supports Sarawak's goal of becoming an ASEAN superpower.

In addition, he said, the first three units of hydrogen-powered buses and Sarawak's hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles were built in China. 
 
"China's participation in the ART project by bringing in expertise and technology promotes a modern, sustainable and efficient urban transport system.

"Investment from China has a huge impact on economic growth and development in the region.

"This investment has increased industrial capacity while fostering sustainable development and innovation," he said.

So far said Awang Tengah, China has invested more than RM19.4 billion mainly in solar, steel and wood based manufacturing projects in Sarawak which has led to the creation of more than 10,000 jobs for the local population.

"Our cooperation with China goes beyond economic cooperation, in fact the cities in Sarawak namely Kuching and Sibu have established urban relations with several cities in China such as Dali, Kunming, Chongzhou and Dongcheng.

"This initiative has provided a platform for new trade and investment opportunities in addition to improving the tourism industry," he said.