GUANGZHOU: November 13, 2026 – Sabah and Guangzhou have agreed to hold annual meetings to strengthen trade relations and expand economic cooperation, particularly in the agriculture, fisheries and food industry sectors.
As a result of this agreement, farmers, breeders and fishermen in Sabah stand to enjoy better returns if access to the Chinese market can be realised. Direct trade routes would enable agricultural, fisheries and swiftlet nest products from Sabah to penetrate the Chinese market without having to go through Kuala Lumpur.
Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the periodic meetings were important to ensure business relations between both parties continue to grow through more organised discussions and follow-up actions.
“We have concluded that these discussions be held once a year. Every matter that has been agreed upon, is still under discussion or has yet to be implemented can be reviewed and coordinated more systematically in the future,” he said after a meeting with the Director-General of the Guangzhou International Division on the sidelines of the Malaysia-China Economic & Trade Exchange & Business Matching Session here.
He said the mechanism would also allow both parties to assess the progress of cooperation, identify matters that have been resolved and examine issues that still require coordination.
Guangzhou also opened space to explore export opportunities for local products including durian, pomelo, pineapple, swiftlet nests and fishery products, subject to technical discussions and relevant approvals.
Besides market access, Sabah also raised opportunities for cooperation in technology transfer, food processing and the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based on agriculture and fisheries, in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) direction through the blue economy approach.
The discussion was also attended by about 12 companies and government-linked companies (GLCs) with interests in the sector, most of which expressed willingness to explore cooperation with Sabah.
Jamawi said Sabah wants the trade relations established to not merely be formal meetings but to develop into continuous business cooperation that opens more opportunities for industry players on both sides.
“We want trade relations between Sabah and Guangzhou to continue to be strengthened so that more business, investment and economic cooperation opportunities can be explored, particularly in sectors with potential for joint development,” he said.
He said efforts to strengthen trade relations were also important to balance the trade flow between Sabah and China, while opening a more competitive market to local entrepreneurs.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry together with the SMJ Secretariat will prepare a cabinet paper for the Chief Minister’s consideration and approval on the matter.
