On 21 November 2024, Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) met with Minister Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad bin Sabu of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia in Zhengzhou of Henan Province, on the sidelines of 2024 ASEAN-Henan (Zhengzhou) Cooperation Conference on Food and Agriculture. Mrs. Norfarina Mohd Azmee, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister of Embassy of Malaysia in China, was present. 

Shi Zhongjun extended heartfelt thanks to Minister Sabu for attending the Conference and stressed that food and agriculture cooperation has always been an integral part of ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China relations. Such cooperation has yielded fruitful results, boasted great potential and broad prospects. Henan Province has long been renowned for the solid foundation, advanced technology and huge market in its agricultural development, which could add strength to Malaysia’s agricultural modernization and expand Malaysia’s export of agricultural produce to China. With its extensive and abundant resources, the ACC can and will do more to promote sub-national cooperation between ASEAN countries and China. The Conference held in Zhengzhou, as a new platform, has presented a perfect occasion to explore more of such cooperation. The ACC stands ready to continue playing a bridging role for ASEAN countries with Malaysia included, in better serving bilateral practical cooperation on food and agriculture. The ACC looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with Malaysia under the framework of 2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges and Malaysia’s upcoming ASEAN chairmanship, so as to bring ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China relations and practical cooperation to a new level.

Minister Sabu spoke highly of the ACC’s efforts in advancing ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership and building Malaysia-China community with a shared future, under the strategic guidance of the leaders on both sides. Malaysia looks forward to promoting new progress in ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China relations during the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. Minister Sabu underlined that Malaysia relies on imports of nearly 80% of meat, more than 45% of grain, and 95% of grain and corn feed for livestock. Malaysia really looks forward to more cooperation in the agriculture-related fields, and strengthening cooperation with Henan Province and other provinces with agricultural advantages in China to put in place concrete projects in such fields as trade in agricultural produce, food self-sufficiency, green agriculture and agri-tourism. Minister Sabu also encouraged the ACC to move forward with its committed efforts in achieving mutual benefits and win-win cooperation for Malaysia and China, as well as ASEAN and China.