TOKYO: The Kedah state government sees China and Japan as two major sources of foreign direct investment with their advanced technology.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said with the strong support from the Chinese government, various incentives have been given for Chinese companies to invest overseas including in ASEAN and in particular Malaysia.
Speaking to reporters at the end of a 10-day state government trade and investment mission to China and Japan, Mukhriz said different approaches need to be taken to attract investment from both countries, as China is driven by government relations while Japan is led by the private sector.
He said the delegation to China and Japan was a success with the signing of several memorandums of understanding (MoUs).
These include an MoU between Kedah State Development Corporation and Qingdao Lu Hai Feng Investment Co Ltd (Lu Hai Feng) for the Kedah Integrated Fishery Terminal (KIFT) project that will make Kedah the biggest international fisheries centre in Southeast Asia particularly for tuna.
Alor Setar City Council also signed an MoU with Qingdao City for, among others, the exchange of tourists between the two cities, while China CAMC Engineering Co Ltd (CAMCE) signed an MoU for the execution of several development projects in Kedah in particular power stations, with the cooperation of Malaysia’s KOSMO Group of Companies.
Beijing Auto International Cooperation (BAIC) signed an MoU for the assembly of electric cars in Gurun, Kedah which will make Malaysia a hub for such vehicles in Southeast Asia.
Great Wall Motors Co Ltd (GWM), maker of the Haval and Great Wall cars, inked an MoU with Go Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd to renew and extend their partnership with the assembly of GWM cars in the latter’s Gurun plant.
In Japan, the Kedah mission focused on Mie Prefecture, a rice bowl which produces agriculture-based food and cosmetics products, and observed the latest solid waste treatment, recycling and wastewater management technologies at work. -- Bernama