Malacca： A New Dawn

Malaysia's ancient entrepot along the Maritime Silk Road seeks rejuvenation

Historically， the western Malaysian city of Malacca （also known as Melaka） has risen and fallen along with the ebbs and flows of the Maritime Silk Road. During the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， China began opening its southern ports to foreign trade， and the Maritime Silk Road witnessed unprecedented prosperity. Later， due to wars and conflicts among the ancient kingdoms of Southeast Asia， the Strait of Malacca gradually declined. During the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， Admiral Zheng He （or Cheng Ho， 1371-1435）， made seven epic voyages to the western seas and visited Malacca five times en route. Malacca thus re-emerged as an important entrepot.

Later on， with the emergence of numerous other trading ports on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra， Malacca once again fell into obscurity. Today， as the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has erected a new platform facilitating Malaysia’s connectivity with the outside world， Malacca is embracing a new dawn of rejuvenation.

Century of Prosperity

“When Zheng He led his fleet on the third voyage to the western seas in 1409， he and his team were stationed at Malacca， as they were for each of the following four voyages，” said Dr. Tan Ta Sen， president of the International Zheng He Society in Singapore and curator of the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum in Malaysia.“In the meantime， rulers of Malacca and their envoys made more than 20 visits to China.”

Mao Lei， an associate professor at the Xiamen University Department of History， said Zheng He’s maritime expeditions brought tremendous business opportunities to Malacca and helped it grow from a sparsely populated small fishing village to a bustling trade hub attracting businesspeople from both east and west.

Back then， not only did Zheng He’s fleet bring Chinese tea， porcelain and silk， but Malacca also saw influx of exotic commodities brought by Indian and Arab merchants from Europe， India and the Persian Gulf， as well as various spices and other specialties from the Malay Peninsula.

From the perspective of Gan Tian Loo， Malacca State government’s special business ambassador to China， Zheng He’s maritime expeditions brought prosperity to Malacca that lasted at least a century. Even today， Sam Po Kong Temple， constructed in dedication of Zheng He （also known as Sam Po）， and other related historical sites still remain， narrating the past glory of the city and standing witness to China-Malaysia friendship that has endured since the “Era of Zheng He”.

Apart from stories about Zheng He， also widely circulated in Malacca is a romantic legend. According to local records， in the early 15th Century， escorted by Ming Emperor Chengzu’s envoy and an entourage of 500 servants， Ming Princess Hang Li Poh arrived in Malacca to be married to Malacca Sultan Mansor Shah.

On Oct. 4， 2013， during his state visit to Malaysia， Chinese President Xi Jinping joined Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to witness the signing of a contract on “Impression Melaka”， a project focused on mutual learning and cooperation in relation to art against the backdrop of the Belt and Road. Chen Yingying， the project leader， believes that “Impression Melaka” is not only a tourist and cultural product that provides a picture of Chinese working hard for a better life in Southeast Asia， but also showcases the harmonious synthesis of Chinese culture and cultures of other nations.

Serious Investors Rather Than Street Vendors

In 2014， the State of Malacca welcomed its largest foreign investment since the beginning of the 21st Century — China’s Xinyi Group provided US$200 million to establish a glass factory. Construction on the plant began in 2015 and was completed and put into operation at the end of 2016. In light of its strong performance， the Chinese investor has provided a further US$200 million for the second phase of the project， in an effort to expand production.

In just two short years， dramatic changes have taken place in Malaysia’s glass industry. With China’s and even the world’s most sophisticated glass technologies introduced by the Chinese firm， the joint venture is now capable of exporting glass products to neighboring markets， benefiting both Xinyi Group and the Malaysian economy.

“This project has helped Malaysia upgrade its glass processing technology， and promoted the development and utilization of local mineral resources，” said Zha Xuesong， vice president of Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited. “The upgrading and application of local environmentally friendly glass processing technologies are set to bring both social and economic benefits.” Project plans include the hiring of some 1，600 employees and providing staff with benefits as well as training opportunities in China.

“Local people have truly felt that rather than street vendors who come and go， we are serious investors to stay and watch our business grow here，” Zha added.

Another mega project of China-Malaysia cooperation in Malacca is Melaka Gateway. The KAJ Development Sdn Bhd of Malaysia will join hands with three Chinese enterprises， PowerChina International， Shenzhen Yantian Port Group and Shandong Rizhao Port Group， to build a deep-sea port as the core part of Melaka Gateway. The Melaka Gateway will also be engaged in tourism， commerce， finance， real estate and industrial production.

Gracing the banks of the world’s busiest strait， Melaka Gateway has received full support from the Malaysian government and the state government of Malacca. “Our Chinese partners are global forerunners in both technology and efficiency， and their participation is conducive to the development of the project，” said Datuk Michelle Ong， CEO of KAJ Development.

According to Malaysian Minister of Transport Liow Tiong Lai， when completed， the deep sea port of Melaka Gateway will also serve as a yacht dock. “The dock alone shows bright prospects， let alone investments in other fields， and altogether these joint ventures are certain to boost the economic development of both Malaysia and China，” the minister added. “Malacca will be reinvigorated once again and will find a chance to recapture its glorious past.”