Boosting ties with Xi’an: Liew
Published on: Monday, July 10, 2023
Liew (6th left), flanked by Lum (on her right) and Meng, with the Sabah delegation and Xi’an Municipal Government officials. From left: Tay, Noredah, Alesia, Joniston, Yao, Sun and Li.
A SABAH Tourism Board (STB) delegation led by State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew went on a working visit to China. She said the visit to Xi’an is a follow-up after 2019 when Kota Kinabalu City and Xi’an City signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Friendship and Cooperation. Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi Province in Central China.
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“The aim is to reconnect and strengthen the government-to-government relationship between the two cities of Xi’an and Kota Kinabalu.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the parties had to stop all programmes planned by Xi’an City Hall and Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK).
“Hence, our revisit to Xi’an is to rekindle bilateral tourism cooperation and cultural exchange,” Liew said after the meeting with the Vice Mayor of Xi’an, Meng Hao, at the Xi’an City Hall on July 3.
According to her, their discussion also touched on Xi’an’s potential trade and investment exhibition in Sabah under the auspices of the newly-established Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB).
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The Xi’an Municipal Government leader has agreed to lead a delegation to visit Sabah at the invitation of the Minister to further discuss the enhancement of the bilateral relationship.
At the meeting with the Vice Mayor, both parties agreed to set up a joint committee between STB and tourism agencies to boost tourism activities speedily.
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“This initiative will further facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and expertise, among others, in efforts to uplift the tourism industry,” Liew said.
Meanwhile, Meng called for efforts to forge tourism cooperation by coordinating with the Sabah Government to promote both cities.
“Sabah has the best diving spots, beautiful islands and tropical rainforests. Both areas complement each other in terms of tourism resources,” he said.
Also present were the Consul-General of Malaysia in Xi’an, Lum Wan Liang, Yao Kai Hui of the Municipal Government Inspectorate, the Director of Xi’an Culture and Tourism Bureau, Sun Chao, and the Deputy Director of Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Li Xiao Yen. Other members of the Sabah delegation include Assistant Minister cum STB Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, the Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion, STB Chief Executive Officer Noredah Othman, STB Deputy Chief Executive Officer Tay Shu Lan, Assistant Marketing Manager Yvonne Chin, Political Secretary to Minister Vivien Lee and the Minister’s Special Officer Robert Penggai.
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