The Malaysia-China Linyi Commodities Exhibition officially kicked off in Kuala Lumpur on April 25-26. The event drew over 5,000 international buyers to explore new avenues for cooperation in commodity trade between China and Malaysia. Serving as a vital gateway for Linyi Trade City's global expansion, the exhibition not only showcased China's manufacturing prowess in high-quality goods but also injected fresh momentum into the deepening of bilateral economic and trade ties.
Organized by Linyi Trade City, one of China's most influential comprehensive wholesale trade hubs, the exhibition featured a meticulously planned layout and a diverse array of exhibits. The showcase comprehensively covered core categories including sporting goods, daily consumer goods, kitchenware, automotive accessories, and small building materials and hardware. Numerous premier enterprises from Linyi made a strong debut with their latest products, presenting buyers from Malaysia and across Southeast Asia with the exceptional quality and innovative design of Chinese manufacturing.
Speaking to the media, Song Liansheng, President of the Linyi Small Commodities Chamber of Commerce, stated, "Following comprehensive upgrades and optimizations, both the scale and quality of this year's exhibition have seen significant improvements. We anticipate that the event will drive a 10% increase in bilateral trade volume, further expanding the market share of Linyi commodities in Malaysia." This projection not only underscores the robust competitiveness of Linyi's products but also reflects the strong demand in the Southeast Asian market for high-quality Chinese daily consumer goods.
The success of the exhibition is underpinned by the increasingly close economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia. Y.B. Tuan Weng San, Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, attended the opening ceremony and delivered an address. He emphasized, "This exhibition is a landmark event for Linyi. It provides a broad platform for enterprises from both China and Malaysia to explore potential economic cooperation, effectively strengthening bilateral trade and commercial ties."
Known as the "Crossroads of Southeast Asia," Malaysia has rapidly emerged in recent years as a core regional hub for commodity sourcing. As the Belt and Road Initiative advances steadily between the two nations, bilateral cooperation and exchanges have become increasingly frequent. In particular, since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) officially took effect in Malaysia in March 2022, trade barriers have been further lowered, ushering in unprecedented opportunities for bilateral trade.
Bolstered by favorable macroeconomic policies, economic and trade cooperation between Linyi and Malaysia has achieved leapfrog growth in recent years. Official statistics show that in 2024, the total import and export trade volume between Linyi and Malaysia reached 8.91 billion RMB (approximately 1.22 billion USD), marking a substantial year-on-year surge of 67.9%. These impressive figures fully attest to the immense potential and robust resilience of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Meanwhile, Linyi enterprises are accelerating their "going global" steps, actively establishing overseas marketing networks in Malaysia. Take Lanhua Group, for instance: the group officially launched Lanhua (Malaysia) Overseas Trade City last October. As the 35th overseas trade city and commercial warehouse developed by Linyi Trade City, it is designed to serve as an overseas showcase, presenting high-quality goods to the Malaysian market.
Oscar Li, General Manager of the Southeast Asia Division at Shandong Lanhua Group, outlined the localization strategy for the overseas trade city. He noted, "The overseas trade city provides not only product display and trading services but also systematic e-commerce training for locals, helping them set up online stores. This initiative is expected to effectively support entrepreneurship within local communities and generate substantial employment opportunities." This model of "exporting goods while localizing services" has been warmly embraced by both the local government and the public.
As the organizer of the exhibition, the development blueprint of Linyi Trade City is also drawing significant attention. After years of cultivation and growth, it has evolved into a globally renowned hub for trade and logistics. Looking ahead, by 2026, the market transaction volume of Linyi Trade City is projected to surpass the 800 billion RMB mark, with total logistics volume expected to exceed 1.2 trillion RMB.
The successful hosting of the Malaysia-China Linyi Commodities Exhibition marks not only a significant milestone in the internationalization strategy of Linyi Trade City but also a vivid testament to the deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia. Moving forward, as more overseas trade city projects come to fruition and the platform effect of the exhibition continues to be unleashed, bilateral trade between the two nations will undoubtedly advance to a new stage of higher-level and deeper development, making even greater contributions to regional economic prosperity.