In a bid to promote Malaysian palm oil to Chinese businesses and consumers, an official from the Southeast Asian country's plantation authority led a delegation to China from July 8 to 12.
During the trip, Chan Foong Hin, Deputy Minister of the Malaysian Ministry of Plantation and Commodities, visited the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing, where he witnessed the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
The delegation also explored new business opportunities in the palm oil sector and the broader agricultural produce industry.
Chan emphasized his hope to expand Malaysian companies' cooperation with China and to help Chinese consumers better appreciate the diverse uses of palm oil.
"The Malaysian Palm Oil Board's Shanghai branch is designed to specifically address the needs of the large Chinese market by offering customized products," said the deputy minister, referring to a Malaysian government agency dedicated to serving the country's palm oil industry.
He added that that the commodity has excellent potential for use in popular Chinese foods.
"For instance, red palm oil can be used in hot pot soup and as animal feed for hairy crabs, improving the flavor of the crab meat," Chan said.
As the world's second-largest palm oil producer and China's second-largest source for the commodity, Malaysia accounts for about 30 percent of global output, with the sector contributing 2.4 percent to the nation's GDP.
Malaysia has seen its market share grow as China's large consumer base exhibits increasing demand for products like synthetic detergents and cosmetics that use palm oil and its derivatives.
A growing number of Chinese companies and institutions have been partnering with their Malaysian counterparts to better integrate the palm oil supply chain and expand its applications.
"Our cooperation with Tsinghua University -- where we have tested our emissions [of] biodiesel produced from palm oil and tested it on heavy vehicles here in China -- based on this collaboration, the heavy vehicles that use biodiesel from Malaysia have shown a reduction in carbon emission. We definitely hope that we can use more palm oil or combination biodiesel as well as power generation where we can reduce the emission. And this is very important," said Datuk Parveez, director general of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
Malaysian delegation visits China to boost cooperation on palm oil exports
President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan commended Chinese support for the development of African nations while expressing optimism about the future of trade and tourism between China and the island country.
Ramkalawan made the comments during his visit to southwest China's Sichuan Province from September 5-7, following his participation in the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.
In Sichuan, Ramkalawan visited a major manufacturer of power generators, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and several scenic spots in the province.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) Ramkalawan said he was deeply impressed by the development of Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan.
He conveyed high hopes that the new direct charter flight linking Chengdu and Seychelles, scheduled to open in November, will significantly enhance tourism and trade between the two nations.
"We want to receive Chinese visitors. And over a couple of years we have missed you. So now we are coming back to say to the visitors of China, please do come to Seychelles where you will be warmly welcomed. And this will also improve of course not only the tourism, but with the direct flight I can see business opportunities. We will be able to export some of our products, like fresh fish products. And on the other hand, I'm sure Chengdu, in Sichuan, businesspeople will be able to explore new opportunities," said Ramkalawan.
Ramkalawan is optimistic that the cooperation between China and African nations will intensify, especially since Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed to elevate the bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China to the level of strategic relations.
Xi made the proposal while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2024 FOCAC summit.
"The FOCAC Summit was a success, absolute success. And China will remain the biggest partner to Africa. China has been and will be. Because China has shown interest, not only in helping African nations, but also in seeing how to help African nations explore and develop on their own. So the program has been further strengthened with all African countries who have bilateral relations with the People's Republic of China now moving one notch higher. We now have what is termed a strategic partnership agreement. And this basically means that China and Seychelles have agreed that we will continue to work together on the basis of mutual respect," said Ramkalawan.
Ramkalawan said the friendship between China and Seychelles will continue to flourish, setting a positive example for other nations in nurturing diplomatic relations.
President of Seychelles eyes closer ties with China through trade, tourism
