KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, April 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Saturday vowed to promote tourism cooperation between China and Sabah of Malaysia.

As Sabah is geographically close to China and conveniently located, the two sides share broad prospect of cooperation, Jia said when meeting with Chief Minister of Sabah Musa Aman in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah.

He said China will continue to support Chinese companies to invest here and encourage more Chinese tourists to travel to Malaysia.

On his part, Musa Aman said Jia’s stopover in Sabah showcases the great importance Chinese leaders have attached to China- Malaysia relations. The two countries witnessed traditional friendship and good momentum of development of ties.

Sabah, with its favorable natural conditions and abundant tourism resources, welcomes more Chinese companies and tourists, he said, adding Sabah will play a positive role in promoting the development of Malaysia-China relations. Jia said the development of the bilateral ties was at a historic best period, featuring frequent high-level visits, close trade cooperation, active cultural exchanges and in-depth substantial cooperation.

China is ready to join hands with Malaysia to further deepen their strategic cooperation and bring benefits to the two peoples, Jia said.

He noted that bilateral trade volume exceeded 90 billion U.S. dollars and reached a record high last year, making Malaysia probably China’s third largest Asian trade partner with a trade volume of billions of dollars, only after Japan and South Korea.

The two countries also signed agreement on mutual recognition of higher education degrees, with exchange of mutual visits exceeding 3 million. They have maintained close coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues, with negotiations underway on deals covering law enforcement, technology and education, Jia said.

Before the meeting, Jia also met with former President of the Malaysian Senate Wong Foon Meng.

Jia made a stopover in Kota Kinabalu in his way to New Zealand, the first stop of an official good-will visit that will also take him to Brunai and Thailand.

If you’re new to independent travel, Europe, Latin America, or even Africa lends itself to neophytes eager to travel on their own.

China? Not so much. If you’ve only lived in the Western world, there’s little to prepare you for the sensory overload that awaits you in “the Middle Kingdom.”

It’s on the streets, in the people, in the very air you breathe — especially in the capital, Beijing.

You can float on canals in a village a thousand years old and ride on the world’s most state-of-the-art passenger train on the same day. Futuristic skyscrapers compete for attention with grandiose palaces built back when Europeans still thought the world was flat.

China does not do subtle, which actually makes it worth seeing. But you need to think carefully about how you see it for the first time.

Some travel writers disparage tour groups, and there are lots of travelers who love to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar. If you’d rather just dip your toe in first, a group tour is the way to go.

Group tours also can offer the best value, especially true in early winter, China’s offseason.

The Seattle-based company China Spree offered the following winter special last year to Beijing and Shanghai — eight days and six nights, two round-trip flights, four-star hotel, two meals, transportation and tours daily, as well as an English-speaking tour guide who accompanied the group 24/7.

Cost: Starting at $900 from the West Coast.

Wilson Wu is the owner of China Spree. Ask him why first-timers to China should go with a group and he starts with the obvious — the language barrier. But he doesn’t stop there.

“China has been isolated from the world for centuries. China opened up in 1978, but progress was at a very slow pace until the last five years,” he says. “The standard of service is way behind.”

“A five-star (hotel) rating in China means nothing. Basically, anybody who can pay the money can buy a five-star rating.”

Even flying to China and then buying a tour upon arrival is risky, says Wu.

“If you hire your own freelance guide, I guarantee he will take you to restaurants where he gets paid a commission. He will take you to multiple shopping stops, where he gets kickbacks. They have many tricks.”

Even when dealing with China tour companies based in the United States, choose carefully.

Talk to friends who have already been to China. Look at the recommendations of travel experts. I first heard about China Spree from the man I call “the godfather of travel,” Arthur Frommer.

But don’t stop there. Check the company with consumer groups like the Better Business Bureau to see if travelers have reported problems. Find out which professional travel organizations the company belongs to.

If it belongs to none, that’s not a good sign. If it does claim membership in groups like the American Society of Travel Agents, confirm it yourself.

Check with travel forums like TripAdvisor to see what other travelers are saying. But when it comes to the Internet, be careful, says China Spree’s Wu.