Last year, trade between Brunei Darussalam and the People’s Republic of China grew to US$423 million, the biggest growth so far in the history of their bilateral relations.
Madam Tong Xiaoling, the outgoing Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam, last night revealed the figure during a farewell dinner hosted by Brunei Hockian Association.
She said, “Trade between Brunei Darussalam and China stood at US$423 million in year 2009. A 93.5 per cent growth, it’s the biggest leap so far between both countries.” She added, “Last year’s figure showed that both nations are moving closer toward achieving the target of US$1 billion trade.”
Madam Tong Xiaoling who will be returning to China by the end of this month said, “I am happy to see growth in every area like trade, cultural, tourism and so on. However there is still room for further cooperation, especially in the fields of fisheries, halal (products) and agriculture”.
The outgoing Chinese ambassador also mentioned that, “ties between Brunei Darussalam and China will be further strengthened when (China’s) Premier Wen Jiabao will be making a visit to Brunei Darussalam on April 22-23. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 19 years ago, this is the first time that Premier Wen Jiabao is visiting Brunei.”
Leaving Brunei with a deep impression, she said “After staying in Brunei for three years, I have fond memories of the people here who are always warm-hearted and Brunei is a place of peace and tranquility.”
She thanked the Brunei Hockian Association and other associations for their continuous support of the Chinese embassy and she hoped that the support will continue to be extended to her successor.
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