Yong Calls for Zhengzhou–Kota Kinabalu Direct Flight at CHIITF

27 September 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to take a more prominent role in regional cooperation, as Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee, Chairman of POIC Sabah, urged closer economic and people-to-people ties between China and Malaysia during his address at the 15th China Henan International Investment and Trade Fair (CHIITF) in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

In his keynote, Yong called for the establishment of a direct flight route between Zhengzhou and Kota Kinabalu, describing it as a vital step to boost connectivity, trade, tourism, and educational exchanges.

Approved by China’s State Council and hosted by the Henan Provincial Government, CHIITF is regarded as inland China’s most influential open platform. This year’s edition, held from 26 to 28 September, carried the theme “Extensive Consultation on Opening-up and Cooperation, and Win-Win Development in the Future” and focused on industrial manufacturing, digital intelligence, logistics, agriculture, and cultural tourism.

The event drew international business representatives, offering Sabah new avenues to showcase its industrial and logistics potential within the Belt and Road framework.

Highlighting Southeast Asia’s strategic value, Yong cited Professor Wang Jisi of Peking University, who had emphasised the region’s importance to China’s foreign policy. Yong responded by affirming that “Southeast Asia is Sabah and its neighbours,” underlining the state’s pivotal role in linking China with the wider region.

He stressed that Sabah, located in northern Borneo, occupies a core position in Southeast Asia and acts as a crucial hub connecting nations. Reflecting on his 2014 speech in Kaifeng, Yong noted how exchanges between China and Malaysia had since grown significantly across education, commerce, tourism, and cultural cooperation, overcoming past barriers and creating a foundation of trust.

Trade figures illustrate this transformation: bilateral trade between Sabah and China rose from RM700 million in 1992 to RM10.7 billion in 2023 — a fifteen-fold increase. “This is proof that only through cooperation can we achieve shared prosperity,” Yong said.

On educational ties, he revealed that more than 70,000 Chinese students were enrolled in Malaysia by mid-2025, up from 48,000 the previous year, reflecting a surge in academic collaboration.

Proposing the Zhengzhou–Kota Kinabalu direct air link, Yong said it would serve as a new bridge for education, tourism, business, and cultural exchanges, unlocking further development opportunities for Borneo.

During the fair, Yong and the Sabah delegation visited the POIC booth to promote the state’s industrial and logistics strengths. He also met with Norman Dzulkarnain Mohd Nasri, Trade Consul at the Consulate General of Malaysia in Shanghai, to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation. Accompanying him were Prof Dato’ Sri Dr Wilson Yong, President of the Sabah Institute of Art, and Datuk Michael Chin, President of the Sabah Stationery and Booksellers Association.

Yong extended special thanks to the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC), commending its president Datuk Frankie Liew for advancing practical business cooperation.

Looking ahead, Yong invited stakeholders from Henan to participate in the Sabah China Expo in Kota Kinabalu this November, reaffirming his commitment to deepening partnerships and raising Sabah’s profile as a regional hub for trade, investment, and cultural exchange.