Zambry calls for pragmatism to balance between US, China

 

A confrontation in the South China Sea between a vessel of the Philippines coast guard and the China coast guard on June 30. (Philippine Coast Guard Twitter pic)

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia must adopt a pragmatic approach as a “middle power” to keep a balance in the intense rivalry between the United States and China, says foreign minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.

He said Malaysia is in a crucial position, located between the busy waterways of the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca.

“We need to take an approach on how to position Malaysia as a middle power. We understand that we are not a major power, but at the same time, we cannot be seen as a power that has no impact whatsoever,” he said at a media briefing after a meeting of the foreign policy consultation council.

A balanced and nuanced policy framework was crucial for Malaysia to avoid being perceived as leaning too much towards any particular direction or supporting any major power in a way that could result in an imbalanced impact on Malaysia.

Malaysia needs to ensure that each non-aligned policy adopted has a positive impact on the current geopolitical environment, including Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Zambry said the foreign policy council also discussed Malaysia’s approach to the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US.

In a separate statement, Zambry said Wisma Putra would need to take a more proactive and continuous approach to economic diplomacy by working closely with the departments that oversee international trade and economic affairs.

“The more important aspect is the stability of the country which will attract more foreign investors to invest in Malaysia,” he said.

Zambry said the foreign policy consultative council was a forum for consultation with experts and stakeholders on foreign affairs to enable Wisma Putra to gain new perspectives and ideas. - FMT