By Franc Han Shih
As Malaysia prepares to meet US officials next week, to negotiate over the imposition of tariffs, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated today that maintaining good relations with both superpowers, China and the US, is crucial for Malaysia and the region.
“I will lead a delegation of ministers to Washington in a few days. The US remains one of Malaysia’s major trading partners, accounting for 60% of our semiconductor exports. I will also emphasise that ASEAN supports free trade and multilateralism,” he said.
Despite his plan to negotiate with the US on the tariff issue, Anwar stressed that he will also continue to increase cooperation with China, noting that China has been very supportive in terms of trade, investment and diplomacy.
“ASEAN is committed to peace and stability, and President Xi has shown respect for the ASEAN mechanism. China remains a vital trading partner with significant investments in the region,” he said.
While Malaysia faces the potential of a 24% tariff on goods shipped into the US, Anwar noted that ties with the US will remain strong.
He revealed that he has written to US President Donald Trump, to propose an ASEAN-US Summit aimed at enhancing cooperation and reaffirming ASEAN’s centrality.
Anwar also announced plans to host the ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit by the end of May, to showcase ASEAN’s role and discuss strategic initiatives with his counterparts.
To engage and tighten relations with other countries, Anwar added that he has consulted regional leaders individually, including Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Luxon, to get an understanding of their positions on trade cooperation.
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