| March 01, 2009 18:34 PM |
Quake-Hit Sichuan Wants Malaysia Consulate, Air Link
By Tham Choy Lin
CHENGDU, March 1 (Bernama) - Quake-hit Sichuan has asked Malaysia to set up a consulate in its capital and restore air links between Chengdu and Kuala Lumpur to enhance bilateral and trade ties.
Sichuan Vice-Govenor Wei Hong conveyed the request to Malaysian Ambassador to China Datuk Syed Norulzaman Kamarulzaman who visited Chengdu this week for a briefing on the quake reconstruction efforts and investments.
"We feel the conditions are matured," Wei said as he also thanked Syed Norulzaman for quake relief supplies and US$1.5 million donation from the Malaysian Government to help victims of last May's devastating earthquake that killed over 69,000 people and left millions homeless.
He said trade between Sichuan and Malaysia had risen tremendously in recent years, more than doubled from US$160 million in 2006 to US$500 million in 2008.
He said Sichuan was developing into a hub for logistics, trade and finance in western China and a number of foreign countries had opened representative offices in Chengdu.
Syed Norulzaman said he would relay the request to the Malaysian Government.
"Our relations, including trade with Sichuan, has been developing very well and there still many areas in which we can go into.
"We will certainly be engaged with them in the coming future," added the envoy.
Malaysian official presence in Chengdu so far, is a Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) office established last July and a Tourism Malaysia representative office.
There are four Malaysia consulates in China currently, in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou in southern Guangdong province and Kunming in southwestern Yunnan province that oversees Sichuan.
Foreign governments with consulates here are the United States, South Korea, Thailand, Germany, France, Singapore and Pakistan. The Philippines announced last year it would establish one, as well.
Syed Norulzaman informed Wei that Malaysia's budget carrier, AirAsia, was planning to start four weekly services to Chengdu in the second half of the year.
Malaysia Airlines dropped Chengdu from its China network in mid-2006 when the national carrier underwent a restructuring exercise.
Since then, travel between Malaysia and Sichuan is via Kunming in Yunnan province neighbouring Sichuan, Guangzhou in southern China, Thai capital Bangkok or Singapore.
-- BERNAMA