KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The China Jiangsu Service Trade Expo 2025 kicked off here on Friday, featuring 70 participants from the province showcasing their essences to a Malaysian audience.

Sun Shuqiang, minister counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office at the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, said in his remarks during the launching ceremony that China-Malaysia relations are entering a "golden era."

"Service trade is becoming a new growth driver of bilateral cooperation. Malaysia has notable strengths in areas such as financial services, education and tourism, and information technology, which are highly complementary to Jiangsu's rich experience in service trade innovation, offering broad prospects for cooperation," he said.

The expo highlights how the services sector is emerging as a critical engine of growth and a vital component of the economy, creating high-value jobs and driving innovation, See Chee Kong, senior director of services sector development of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, said in his remarks.

The expo will run concurrently with several other promotional events, including a digital trade matchmaking conference, a tourism promotion conference, and an intangible cultural heritage exhibition and performance. ■