KOTA KINABAL: The number of Chinese tourists in Sabah has increased nine-fold from 26,054 last year to 262,070 in the first seven months of this year, says Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The visa exemption policy between Malaysia and China has led to a surge in tourists from China visiting Sabah, with close to 40 per cent of the state’s foreign visitors from the East Asian power.

For the first seven months of this year, Sabah received a total of 706,383 foreign visitors.

By comparison, a total of 424,052 foreigners visited Sabah during the corresponding period last year.

Sabah will continue to strengthen economic collaboration with China, as the state has emerged as a favourite destination among travellers and investors from China, Hajiji said during the 75th anniversary reception of the founding of the People’s Republic of China at a hotel here Tuesday.

Sabah has ample opportunities for investors in green technology and high-tech agriculture, as well as mixed developments.

Also present at the reception were Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and the Consul General of China in Kota Kinabalu Huang Shifang.

Malaysia and China celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on May 31.