TIANJIN: Leading Chinese conglomerate Rianlon Corporation has expressed its commitment to invest RM820mil to develop a research and development centre in Johor, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic).
The Prime Minister said the company made the announcement during a meeting with its chairman and chief executive officer Li Haiping and chief technology officer Sun Chunguang.
Anwar said the investment, which involves the development of a factory, is expected to create highly-skilled job opportunities.
Rianlon, based in Tianjin, is a global leader in anti-ageing additives for polymers and cosmetics.
In addition, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, met with China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), the largest global infrastructure service provider.
Also present were its chairman Song Hailiang and vice-president Chen Zhong.
“Together with CCCC, I’m looking at the development of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which is now a symbol of the Malaysia-China friendship under the Belt and Road Initiative.
“God willing, ECRL will bridge the regional development gap and bring economic benefits to the local community,” Anwar said after meeting with the two conglomerates here.
He stressed that the Madani government’s commitment will continue to boost investments, empower the high-tech sector and strengthen Malaysia-China economic ties.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia is exploring new markets for its semiconductor industry as part of diversification efforts to move into new markets.
The Prime Minister said China has advanced phenomenally in this field, and Malaysia is eager to explore possible collaborations with its Chinese counterparts.
“Malaysia is fortunate to become the hub of semiconductors in South-East Asia ... with more than 60% of our electrical and electronic and semiconductor products exported to the United States.
“So the decision is to continue with that but open up new markets at the same time, and we are working with Chinese and Japanese companies,” he said during a question and answer session at Tianjin University.
Anwar also emphasised nurturing new talents in the field, such as new technology that uses artificial intelligence.
He said there is a huge opportunity as China has opened its doors but apart from collaborations, the creation of a training component is also vital.
“In fact, I will meet with all the China-based semiconductor players to discuss and work on the formula. We have to explore this and work together,” he added.
