Chinese companies pick MY as regional hub, prioritises local talent hires

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri PM Anwar Ibrahim has reportedly said several leading companies from China chose Malaysia as their regional hub. 

According to Bernama, PM Anwar said at the monthly assembly of the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) staff on 3 April, that this is the first time several of the Chinese companies choose Malaysia as their regional hub, "Usually their regional hubs are in other countries, or in neighbouring countries," he added. He also said that details of the matter will be revealed soon. 

PM Anwar said that he had made sure that leading Chinese companies in the country were aware that they should prioritise the hiring of qualified Malaysian workers when they hire for their plants. 

He brought up both Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Rongsheng Petrochemical Co which have given their assurance to hire locally in Malaysia moving forward. The entire circuit of their local setup, PM PM Anwar added, will be handled exclusively by local companies.

In addition to hiring locals, these companies have also offered to train locals in both Malaysia and China, agreeing to commence training this year. As part of this initiative, Zhejiang Geely will be bringing 300 Malaysians to China for specialised training, PM Anwar said.
 
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Earlier this week, premier Li Qiang of the Chinese State Council held talks with PM Anwar, who was on his official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People. Li said that Chinese president Xi Jinping and PM Anwar have achieved important common understandings on jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, drawing a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the new era. Li said that both sides should take the common understandings as guidance to strive for higher-quality development of bilateral cooperation, increase the well-being of the two countries and the two peoples, and contribute strength to regional and global peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Li pointed out that China and Malaysia, as developing countries and emerging economies, should leverage respective comparative advantages to advance cooperation in the next stage. The two sides should deepen the alignment of development strategies, and facilitate higher-level two-way opening up and promote the alignment of higher-standard economic and trade investment policies. Both sides should promote integrated development, and China welcomes deep integration of Malaysian and Chinese industrial, supply, data, and talent chains, to jointly advance cooperation in major projects and realise greater mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes.

The two sides should strengthen cooperation in emerging industries, and encourage the improvement and upgrade of bilateral cooperation oriented towards innovation, smart, digital and green areas. China is ready to expand the import of quality unique products from Malaysia, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, and share experience in poverty alleviation. The two sides should step up friendship and mutual trust, and actively carry out cooperation in such fields as education, culture, tourism, media and think tanks. China stands ready to work with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to accelerate consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

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