KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has opened up trade, investment, industry, and Blue Economy cooperation with China’s Dalian province following the signing of two memorandums of understanding and three letters of intent (LOI).
The Sabah-Dalian Trade Cooperation Mission led by Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick, witnessed the signing of the MoUs and LOIs that cover education, technology, maritime, and the Blue Economy sectors in Dalian on Wednesday (May 6).
Among the MoUs signed were a collaboration between Dalian Maritime University (DMU) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and a technology partnership on functional drinking water conversion 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 (SMJ) Secretariat, collaboration between Dalian Ocean University and SMJ, and cooperation between Beijing Open University International Curriculum Centre and Sabah’s Education, Science and Innovation (KPSTI) Ministry.
Ewon, who is state Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister, witness the document exchanges alongside representatives of the Dalian government officials during the Dalian-Sabah Trade and Investment Partnership Session: Interactive Dialogue on the Blue Economy Sector.
Speaking at the event, Ewon said the agreements reflect the strong friendship between Malaysia and China while opening wider opportunities for economic cooperation between Sabah and Dalian in trade, investment, industry, and the Blue Economy.
“Sabah is strengthening its position as a regional hub for maritime trade, logistics, industrial development, and Blue Economy investments. Dalian, meanwhile, is renowned as a maritime, logistics, and industrial hub with strengths in port development, marine technology, shipbuilding, and coastal industry development,” he said.
Ewon said Sabah’s focus on 15 key industries under the Blue Economy framework, includes aquaculture, maritime logistics, marine biotechnology, ocean energy technology, and ocean monitoring.
He said ongoing projects such as the Kudat Blue Economy Industrial Park, a desalination project at POIC Lahad Datu, and floating solar facilities at the Babagon Dam.
He welcomed strategic cooperation with partners from China, particularly Dalian, in technology transfer, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and joint ventures in high-impact sectors.
He also disclosed that Sabah recorded manufacturing sector investments totalling RM7.6bil in 2025, an increase of 208% compared to RM2.47bil the previous year.
Of this, he said RM6.6bil was foreign direct investment (FDI), while RM1bil was domestic investment.
