Political party MCA paid a visit to Malaysia Zhejiang Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce to strengthen business connectivity and expand regional opportunities.

Led by the party’s PRC affairs and Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) committee chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng, the delegation was welcomed by chamber president Huang Guangxiu and several committee members.

Tan, who is also MCA vice-­president, said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were the backbone of Malaysia’s economy, accounting for 90% of all businesses.

He said the party could serve as a bridge by cooperating with the chamber to deepen business collaboration between Malaysia and China, and to promote economic development.

Tan also urged the government to establish a Malaysia-China Economic Consultation and Development Centre, thus providing an official platform that worked in tandem with private-sector initiatives.

He said this would help integrate resources and assist local enterprises towards expanding their businesses regionally and strengthening partnerships.

Tan also hoped the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry would include local business chambers as advisory partners to ensure accurate information sharing and effective business matchmaking, especially in serving enterprises from China.

“MCA is not just a political party.

“It is also a ‘bridge’ for industrial cooperation between Malaysia and China,” Tan said after the meeting with Huang at the chamber’s premises in Puchong, Selangor.

“We actively help businesses from both countries establish connections and expand into each other’s markets.

“We want to ensure advancing mutual benefits in economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Malaysia and China,” he added.

Huang said the chamber, with 15 years of history in Malaysia, had hosted over 1,000 groups of Chinese and international business people.

“I hope businesses from both countries will engage in more frequent cooperation and that the spirit and culture of Zhejiang will be spread to Malaysia.”