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Alyssa Chen

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will visit China next week, Beijing announced on Friday.
It will be Anwar’s third trip to China since taking office two years ago, as Malaysia tries to boost bilateral ties despite disputes in the South China Sea.
Anwar will arrive for a four-day working visit on Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry said. He is expected to stop in Shanghai before visiting Beijing to meet China’s top leaders.
Under Anwar, Malaysia has sought a close and constructive relationship with China, its biggest trading partner for the past 15 years. He visited China twice last year after being sworn into office in November 2022.


Bilateral trade reached US$190.24 billion last year, of which Chinese imports made up close to 55 per cent.
China is also the fifth-biggest foreign investor in Malaysia, with total inflows of 14.5 billion ringgit (US$3.3 billion) last year, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.
Among Asean states, Malaysia is China’s largest source of imports and second-biggest trading partner.
Anwar’s trip comes five months after Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Kuala Lumpur as the two countries marked 50 years of diplomatic relations.
It was the first visit to Malaysia by a Chinese premier since 2015, and concluded with pledges to deepen economic ties. These included memorandums of understanding on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, the green economy and digital economy, as well as an agreement on exporting fresh durians to China.
The two countries also renewed their five-year economic and trade cooperation plan, pledging deeper links in areas including manufacturing, agricultural infrastructure, the digital economy and logistics.
Official narratives from both sides regularly strike a positive tone, emphasising their long-standing history of friendship and collaboration, with regular visits to China by senior Malaysian officials held up as showing the positive trend in relations.
Notably, Malaysia was the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations member to establish official diplomatic ties with China at the peak of the Cold War.


Despite the positive tone, fears remain that overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea could complicate relations.
But analysts do not expect major disruptions. This is partly because Malaysia has long chosen to adopt a low profile and moderate stance where it rarely publicly criticises China.
In June, Anwar said he preferred Malaysia “to take a more aggressive way of engaging diplomatically” over South China Sea issues, and this approach had been “rather successful”, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
Beijing’s expansive claims over the South China Sea also overlap with those of several other Asean members, including the Philippines and Vietnam.
Anwar emphasised that the resolution of these disputes should be handled among the Asean members and China, without the interference of external parties, Bernama reported.
According to Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, maritime disputes were unlikely to be a major issue in China-Malaysia relations, as the Anwar administration wished to “play down the dispute”.
Economic issues were likely to be the main focus during Anwar’s visit, though he might address the South China Sea dispute in response to public pressure, Chong added.
“Beijing may wish to ask Malaysia to help avoid issues that may create complications for its interests in Southeast Asia and Asean, such as the Philippines’ vocal position on the South China Sea dispute,” Chong said.
But Malaysia is also cautious about not being seen as entirely tilting towards China, and continues to actively engage with a range of global players. This has seen it quietly forge significant economic and security relationships beyond China and the United States.


Malaysia will take over the annual rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Asean group next year, with the Philippines set to follow in 2026.
China’s worsening ties with the Philippines, especially after a string of confrontations in disputed South China Sea waters, might see it recognise the opportunity to strengthen Asean ties in 2025.
“Beijing may seek to use Malaysia’s role as Asean chair next year to reduce friction in Southeast Asia, perhaps by playing down the South China Sea dispute despite the interests of some member states like the Philippines not to do so,” Chong said.


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News

China

Diplomacy

Anwar Ibrahim’s four-day visit starting on Monday is expected to include stop in Shanghai before talks in Beijing with top leaders


Anwar Ibrahim’s four-day visit starting on Monday is expected to include stop in Shanghai before talks in Beijing with top leaders.


South China Sea