PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has recently stated that Malaysia is prepared to negotiate with China over the South China Sea dispute.
During the Malaysian Prime Minister’s official visit to China, he together With President Xi Jinping had comprehensive and fruitful deliberations, setting clear and strategic directions to deepen and broaden relations moving forward.
Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged that Malaysia was the first among ASEAN countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, highlighting the standing and historical ties.
President Xi also noted the high level of strategic trust between both countries.
In a meeting, the Malaysian Prime Minister made remarks about how he values the Chinese President’s friendship and leadership.
Following this, Prime Minister Anwar said that Malaysia is open to talks with China over disputes in the South China Sea.
To note, China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, through which about us$3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.
Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have some overlapping claims.
Meanwhile, PM Anwar said that the issue was raised in the four-eyed meeting he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his official visit to China and that the National Oil and Gas Company, Petronas, has the largest platform for oil exploration operating in the area.
Moreover, the Malaysian state oil company Petronas operates several oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within its 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
It can be noted that in 2021, Malaysia summoned the Chinese Ambassador to express its protest against the “encroachment” into its waters by Beijing’s vessels.
On the other hand, because of Prime Minister Anwar’s visit to China, 19 agreements were signed to boost investments in green technology, the digital economy, and modern agriculture.
