“We should therefore not be surprised when forums such as BRICS start to gain purchase. If one avenue for asserting new realities is impeded, others will take its place,” he said.
BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
“Accordingly, we should not take for granted that Western perspectives on the future world order would be embraced universally. There is growing impatience with how global institutions are failing to reform themselves,” Anwar said.
Chinese official appreciates Anwar’s comments
The Malaysian PM’s recent comments have not gone unnoticed by Chinese officials, with Zheng Xuefang, minister at the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, expressing his appreciation on Wednesday.
“The development of China is an opportunity for the world rather than a threat to anyone,” Bernama, the Malaysian state-run news agency, quoted him as saying during a visit to its offices in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile in China, Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday emphasized the importance of economic diplomacy.
“China cannot develop without the world, and the world cannot develop without China,” he told reporters after the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress, according to a statement on the foreign ministry website.
“Badmouthing China will definitely backfire on itself, and misjudging China will [lead to] miss opportunities,” he said.
Brave talk from Anwar, but Malaysia needs to be careful it doesn’t become overly dependent on China in trade and economy, said Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs analyst at University Malaya.
That could create long–term risks to Malaysia’s economic and security fundamentals, Chong said, noting that China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner over the last 14 years.
Malaysia is in critical need of Beijing’s investments in key areas, such as local transportation, property, 5G, artificial intelligence and green energy.
After a state visit to China last April, Anwar said he had received commitments of nearly U.S. $39 billion in new investment.
Chong also expressed concerns about Malaysia’s approach in the South China Sea dispute, especially its oil and gas reserves in its exclusive economic zone.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the EEZs of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
“Malaysia will need to unwaveringly stand up to the steadfast protection of the rules-based order based on international law and norms and ensure a free and open navigation and a free and open Indo–Pacific,” Chong told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet.
“As a maritime trading nation where [Malaysia’s] economic survival depends overwhelmingly on maritime trade, Malaysia and the region cannot afford to … to repackage the notion of a free, open, and rules based regional order according to different non-Western interpretations, to justify the call for the exclusion of Western powers’ presence or ‘interference’ in this region.”
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet.