By WU VUIDE
DALIAN: The Sabah-Dalian trade cooperation mission successfully opened a new chapter of strategic collaboration with the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and three letters of intent (LoIs) involving the education, technology, maritime and blue economy development sectors.
The exchange of documents was witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister III and Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick together with representatives of the Dalian government during the Dalian-Sabah Trade and Investment Sharing Session: Interactive Dialogue on the Blue Economy Sector.
Among the MoUs signed were a collaboration between Dalian Maritime University (DMU) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), as well as a technology cooperation on drinking water conversion for functional water usage between Jetama and Dalian Bowen Software Technology Co. Ltd.
The three LoIs involved friendship cooperation between the Dalian Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce and the Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat (SSMJ), collaboration between Dalian Ocean University and SSMJ, and cooperation between the Beijing Open University International Curriculum Centre and Sabah’s Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (KPSTI).
Speaking at the event, Ewon said the cooperation through the MoUs and LoIs reflected the strong friendship between Malaysia and China while opening wider economic cooperation potential between Sabah and Dalian in trade, investment, industry and the Blue Economy.
He said Sabah is now strategically positioned to strengthen trade relations and attract high-value investments, particularly in the Blue Economy sector.
“Sabah is strengthening its position as a regional hub for maritime trade, logistics, industrial development and Blue Economy investments.
“Dalian, meanwhile, is well known as a maritime, logistics and industrial hub with strengths in port development, marine technology, shipbuilding and coastal industrial development,” he said.
He said Sabah is currently focusing on 15 key industries under the Blue Economy framework, including aquaculture, maritime logistics, marine biotechnology, ocean energy technology and ocean monitoring.
“Sabah is also implementing several key projects, including the Kudat Blue Economy Industrial Park, the desalination project at POIC Lahad Datu and the development of floating solar facilities at the Babagon Dam,” he said.
“Sabah welcomes strategic cooperation with partners from China, particularly Dalian, in technology transfer, knowledge sharing, capacity development and joint ventures in high-impact sectors,” he added.
He also invited the Dalian government and companies to explore investment opportunities and strategic cooperation in Sabah.
In a related development, Ewon said Sabah recorded RM7.6 billion in manufacturing sector investments in 2025, an increase of 208 per cent compared with RM2.47 billion in the previous year.
He said of the total, RM6.6 billion comprised foreign direct investment (FDI), while RM1 billion was domestic investment.
Ewon (2nd left), witnesses the exchange of documents.
