Brunei welcomes foreign direct investment from China with more trade and economic cooperation, a senior Brunei government official said on Wednesday.

"It is encouraging to know that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation between Brunei and China is progressing well, (as) a testament to our excellent and long-lasting relations," Haji Abdul Manaf, Brunei's Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy said during his speech on a virtual academic forum on the country's relations with China.

According to him, efforts are underway to enhance the business environment for foreign direct investment (FDI) and encourage the exploration of business and investment opportunities between Brunei and China.

"In this regard, Brunei looks forward to welcoming more FDI from China, particularly in food, downstream oil and gas, tourism, services and information and communication technology sectors," the official said.

Themed Review and Prospect of Building China-Brunei Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the forum was co-sponsored by the Guangxi University of China and Universiti Teknologi Brunei, an engineering and technology university in Brune.

The forum focused on enhancing bilateral relations from the perspectives of education and industry with the participation of senior officials, scholars and industry insiders from both China and Brunei.