SHANGHAI: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof arrived in Shanghai, China, at 1.55 pm Malaysia time on his maiden official visit to the country since his appointment on Dec 2 last year.
The special aircraft BD 700 (RMF 142) carrying the minister landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where he was met by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin, Consul General of Malaysia in Shanghai Syed Farizal and other senior government officials.
During his visit from Nov 12-19, Fadillah will be going to Shanghai and Beijing, aiming to strengthen cooperation in the areas of research and development as well as capacity building in the field of commodities, especially in promoting the Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification scheme at the global level.
The minister was recently reported saying that he was looking forward to strengthening trade in commodities with China, particularly palm oil.
China is Malaysia’s second-largest palm oil export market after India.
The export value of palm-based products to China in 2022 was RM16.41 billion, while the export value of Malaysian palm oil to the country in the same year was RM8.44 billion.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for the past 14 years.
Meanwhile, this year, Malaysia and China celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, while in 2024, both countries will commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Therefore, this visit will also allow both countries to discuss and exchange views on programmes and activities to be organised next year. – Bernama
