China To Set Up Consulate-General Office In Sabah

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia) Jan 17 (Bernama) -- China is in the process of setting up its new consulate-general office in the east Malaysian state of Sabah that is expected to start operations by first quarter of this year. China's Consul-General to Kuching Liu Quan said an advance team led by China's deputy Consul-General in Kota Kinabalu Sun Xiaowu was currently here to identify a suitable location to set up the office. Kuching is the capital of east Malaysian state of Sarawak. Liu said they have met the Sabah State Governor Juhar Mahiruddin, Chief Minister Musa Aman, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun and Speaker Salleh Said Keruak about the matter. "They welcomed the initiative and will provide the necessary assistance," he told reporters in a press conference here, Friday. Liu said the Consulate-General's office would further boost and strengthen the existing good relationship between China and Sabah. Last year, he said a total of 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Sabah and they expect at least 400,000 million Chinese to go overseas in the next five years. Liu also welcomed the proposal by the federal government to exempt the visa requirement for China's nationals to boost tourism in the country. -- BERNAMA