Malaysia-China trade ties gain new platform as Shanghai fair targets business deals

KUALA LUMPUR: Stronger trade and investment ties between Malaysia and China are creating fresh opportunities for businesses to expand across borders, with a Shanghai trade exhibition in Kuala Lumpur next month seeking to translate bilateral economic cooperation into commercial partnerships.

Bilateral trade reached US$35.49 billion (RM140.76 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, while cumulative implemented investment from China between 1980 and 2025 stood at US$24.5 billion (RM110.9 billion).

Against this backdrop, the 26th Shanghai Fair Trade Show – Malaysia aims to strengthen business links between Shanghai and Malaysian enterprises through trade exhibitions, investment discussions and targeted business-matching sessions.

The two-day event will bring together more than 300 Shanghai enterprises, 30 industry associations and institutions, and approximately 500 exhibitors.

According to a statement, the exhibition will cover five sectors, namely, manufacturing, healthcare, consumer goods, innovation technology and trade services, highlighting Shanghai's products, technologies and services with potential applications in Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asian market.

More than half of the participating exhibitors are recognised under China's Specialised, Refined, Distinctive and Innovative (SRDI) enterprise designation, which identifies businesses with specialised expertise, niche-market capabilities and innovation-driven operations.

Their participation could open opportunities for Malaysian companies to identify new suppliers, secure distribution arrangements and explore joint ventures with Chinese enterprises seeking to expand their international reach.

For the first time, the fair will feature an International Pavilion spanning nearly 150 square metres, bringing together Malaysian official institutions and leading local enterprises alongside their Shanghai counterparts.

The pavilion will provide a platform for Malaysian organisations to showcase their capabilities, establish business connections and explore opportunities to participate in cross-border trade and investment initiatives.

Fu Wengang, vice-president of the Shanghai Services Federation and director of its Committee on Trade in Services, as well as executive director of the Cooperation and Exchange Committee of the Shanghai Federation of Industrial Economics, said the fair was intended to become a long-term platform for bilateral cooperation.

"We hope the Shanghai Fair will be more than an exhibition, a long-term platform that brings Shanghai and Malaysia closer through trade, culture and public welfare," he said.