On September 26, the “Taste of Malaysia and Australia”, jointly organized by the MAYCHAM GBA and AUSTCHAM-South China, was successfully held at the Westin Pazhou. Consul General of Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou Mr. Beh Ching Chye, Consul General of Australian Consulate-General in Guangzhou Mr. Michael Sadleir, Chairman of MAYCHAM GBA Mr. Nick Koay, Deputy Chairman of AUSTCHAM-South China Mr. Gilbert Xu, as well as consuls from various departments of the consulate, leaders from 28 domestic and foreign chambers of commerce and associations in various fields, more than 180 guests attended the party and narrated their friendship, aiming to promote economic and cultural exchanges between Malaysia and Australia.
Mr. Michael Sadleir, the Consul General of the Australian Consulate-General in Guangzhou said in his speech that Malaysia and southern China are Australia’s important export markets. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, Australia designed an emergency freight plan to ensure that Australia’s high-quality products can be exported smoothly. Since April, the international cargo support mechanism launched by the Australian government has successfully helped Australian companies export 140,000 tons of high-quality agricultural products to more than 60 countries. Australia has close and extensive non-governmental exchanges with Malaysia and China, maintaining long-term good relations.
Mr. BEH Ching Chye, Consul General of Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou, said in his speech, Malaysia has always been an attractive foreign investment destination with vibrant business environment, supportive government policies, an educated workforce, developed infrastructure, and etc. From January to May 2020, 892 investment projects approved in various sector (Primary, Manufacturing & Services) with total investments of RM37.4 Billion (¥62.1 Billion). 42% of manufacturing sector contributed by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). In 2019, Malaysia’s total trade with China amounted to USD124.11 billion, total trade with Guangdong Province amounted to USD35.1 billion, contributed about 1/3 of the total trade between Malaysia and China.
Mr. Gilbert Xu, Deputy Chairman of AUSTCHAM-South China, said that AUSTCHAM-South China has been committed to providing business information and services to support member development. In recent months, AUSTCHAM-South China has invested a lot of time and resources to establish contacts with the local chambers of commerce, in order to provide members with more opportunities for business cooperation with Chinese companies. Since June, AUSTCHAM-South China has regularly organized offline activities and has formulated a clear plan to expand the influence of the chamber.
Mr. Nick Koay, chairman of the MAYCHAM GBA said that the purpose of holding this event is to strengthen the exchanges between the two countries through culture and food. Malaysia has always been a trading port due to the strategic location located along the Straits of Malacca. This led to many Chinese and Indians to gather in the land of Malaya. The Chinese descendants that came around the 15th century over many generations of mixed-race marriage with the natives formed a unique ethnic group known as Peranakan or Nyonya. The cuisine is a blend of Chinese cooking methods with the local ingredients and taste influenced by different cultures. Malaysia consists of three main ethnics groups and over 30 native tribes with over 137 languages or dialects. The local cuisines are divided into a wide range, each with its own taste of different cultures that are all truly Malaysian.
In the future, MAYCHAM GBA will better play its role as a bridge and link to make greater contributions to the economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
