Malaysia Seeks Closer ASEAN-China Ties During ASEAN Chairmanship

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to use its strong ties with China to foster closer relations between ASEAN countries and the Asian giant during its chairmanship of ASEAN this year, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said while overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea pose challenges, Malaysia is confident it can guide ASEAN nations to avoid conflict with China.

“Yes, we accept the fact that there are challenges; there are overlapping areas, and there are issues and problems in the South China Sea. But I think diplomacy is also there.

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“I think most of the countries within ASEAN accept the fact that China is our neighbour. It is a big country, strong economically and technologically advanced. We have to live with China,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said this as a panellist at the Malaysia Economic Forum session titled ASEAN Dynamics: Capitalising on Opportunities and Navigating Transition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

Mohamed Khaled emphasised that Malaysia does not view military action as an approach to resolving the South China Sea disputes although it remains committed to bolstering its defence capabilities in the region.

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“We must strengthen our military so we will be respected. But it is not the answer to all our problems,” he said. 

To address the ongoing disputes, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia is employing two key strategies: maintaining a visible presence in all overlapping claim areas and enhancing maritime domain awareness to ensure Malaysians are informed about the territories that the country claims.

He also hopes that during Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, significant progress will be made in finalising the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) to preserve peace and stability in the region.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Khaled said that although Malaysia is a partner country in BRICS, it will not abandon its traditional trading partners, such as the United States, the European Union and others.

He said that joining BRICS provides Malaysia with access to larger and emerging markets, as the alliance represents 45 per cent of the world’s population and 28 per cent of the global economy, a potential Malaysia cannot afford to overlook.

“We are not abandoning dollar-based trading and transactions. We are not dismantling anything,” he said.

-- BERNAMA