KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese nationals still love Malaysia and will return soon as tourists, said Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang.
He was responding to a question on the declining number of Chinese tourists after two Chinese nationals were kidnapped in Sabah within weeks of each other recently.
“To some extent, there is a negative impact on the tourism industry but, in the long-term, the relationship between the two countries will be stronger. So Chinese tourists will come back,” he said.
On the suspended Visit Malaysia Year campaigns in China following the missing MH370 incident, Huang said the promotional campaigns would be renewed soon.
He said the commemoration of 40 years of China-Malaysia ties was a huge promotion itself for the people of both nations.
“There is a series of celebration for the whole of this month – a photo exhibition, a symposium, the arrivals of the panda and Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib’s (Tun Razak) delegation to China.
“This is a joint effort from both parties and I strongly believe that our future is much brighter,” said Huang.
Due to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the kidnappings of Chinese nationals in the past two months, many Chinese tourists have cancelled their visit to the country.
