THE Consul General of Malaysia in Shanghai Hendy Assan sees a win-win scenario for China and Malaysia as tourism and business increases between the two countries, writes Yao Minji.

Hendy Assan considers it an honor to have arrived in Shanghai on July 1, 2010, right in the middle of World Expo 2010. It was his first visit to China and Assan is now consul general of Malaysia in Shanghai.

"It was an incredible experience with so many VIP visits to handle, all kinds of different events and a lot of opportunities to promote Malaysia to Chinese visitors. It was a challenging and at the same time rewarding experience for me," the consul general of Malaysia in Shanghai tells Shanghai Daily.

Malaysia has successfully promoted its culture and tourism at Malaysia Pavilion during the Expo. The Shanghai office alone received more than 185,000 visa applications last year, while a total of 1.13 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia. Meanwhile, 1.24 million Malaysians visited China.

As of July this year, the office has already processed over 164,000 visas, and Assan predicts the number of tourists from China is surely to surpass that of last year.

"Huge potential is to increase the volume as Malaysia offers a multitude of attractions including nature, food, shopping, culture, health tourism and much more. Excellent flight connections will further boost the link between the two countries," Assan says.

He also hopes to "consolidate the situation by visiting and getting to know as many people as possible. Contacts and networks are very important in enabling me to work efficiently and successfully," he adds.

Putting his ideas into practice, Assan has already made frequent trips to the areas that this office covers including Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. He has been amazed by the diversity of culture, traditions and food as well as equally rapid development in the three provinces, which are important regions for trade and collaboration between the two countries.

This is the 37th year of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. In 1974, Malaysia became the first country in ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to establish diplomatic ties with China.

"The relationship has been continuously developing and is now entering a new stage of maturity and all-around development in various fields. Both sides also cooperate well in major international and regional issues," Assan says.

China is Malaysia's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in 2010 valued at US$74.2 billion, a 43 percent increase from US$51.8 billion in 2009. Shanghai, as the financial center of China, contributed 26 percent to the total trade figure last year.

More than 4,000 Malaysians live in Shanghai, and the number exceeds 10,000 when adding Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, which are important bases for Malaysian companies in China.

The trade value between the two nations from January to June was US$42.3 billion, casting a bright light for the future. As Assan predicts, this year's trade is expected to exceed last year by about 20 percent.

Many large Chinese companies, especially in infrastructure and energy sectors, have established Malaysian branches to take on important projects, including the ongoing construction of the longest bridge in Benang, Malaysia.

On the other hand, Malaysia's biggest exports to China include raw materials, mineral silver and oil. Assan hopes to see more collaboration in the education sector in the future. He also welcomes Chinese students to take full advantage of Malaysia's excellent education facilities, including branch campuses for many prestigious universities in the West.

"I hope that in 2011, bilateral relations will be further strengthened. We want to increase mutual investments and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, energy, education and finance," Assan says.

"I hope we will have more people to people contact, especially among the young generation. We also want to promote cultural exchanges between youths, because they are the future of the countries, and serve as an important tie for nations to build friendship."

He adds that the two nations shall both take advantage of their excellent education facilities to promote such cultural exchanges. The two nations have already signed an agreement on mutual recognition for higher education experience and academic degrees, which will further boost educational cooperation.

There are around 100 Malaysia-based companies in Shanghai, operating in a variety of sectors including services, retail and manufacturing. Many companies are also looking at smaller cities in nearby provinces.

"Malaysian companies do detailed market studies and research before setting up here. I always advise them to do their homework," Assan says.

"China offers so many opportunities in various sectors with many incentives given, and it is important to compare the policies in different areas before making a final decision."

He also wants to encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Malaysia, especially in the sectors of infrastructure, biotechnology, energy, green energy and communications.

"Malaysia is centrally located in Southeast Asia and can be the base for Chinese companies to establish networks and distribution centers for their products and services to ASEAN nations, which have more than 600 million potential customers," says Assan.

Malaysia by the numbers

37

This is the 37th year of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. In 1974, Malaysia became the first country in ASEAN to establish diplomatic ties with China.

US$74.2b

China is Malaysia's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in 2010 valued at US$74.2 billion, a 43 percent increase from US$51.8 billion in 2009.

1.13 million

The Malaysia Consulate General Shanghai received more than 185,000 visa applications last year, while a total of 1.13 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia. Meanwhile, 1.24 million Malaysians visited China.

10,000

More than 4,000 Malaysians live in Shanghai, and the number exceeds 10,000 when adding Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.