Anwar's Taiwan remarks need to be seen in their proper context

 

 Recent statements by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on China and Taiwan have created some controversy. He has appeared to cause outrage in some circles.

His remarks have been framed by some as an endorsement of Beijing using force to unify Taiwan. That interpretation, however, misreads both the letter and the spirit of his words.

Let me be clear from the outset: I am a friend of Taiwan. I deeply respect the Taiwanese people’s desire to preserve their way of life, and I would be devastated to see their society and economy ravaged by war. I wish to see peace and prosperity continue to prevail over the beautiful island.

Malaysia and Taiwan share generations of cultural and economic ties that I hope will flourish indefinitely, regardless of diplomatic status.

I do not speak for the prime minister nor for the Malaysian government. But I believe Anwar’s statement must be understood in its proper context - legal, diplomatic, and geopolitical.

What Anwar actually said

In his Al Jazeera interview, Anwar stated a simple truth: Malaysia, like the vast majority of nations - including the United States - recognises the One China Policy.

Under international law, Taiwan is part of China. This is not Anwar’s opinion or emotional preference. It is a recognition of international legal reality.

Then he went on to elaborate: If any foreign power threatened Malaysia’s territorial integrity - for example, by arming separatists in any state - our prime minister would be duty-bound to respond with every tool available, including force. That is the responsibility of every government to defend its sovereignty.

Every nation on earth reserves that right. Why, then, is China condemned for asserting what is considered an international norm?

What this doesn’t mean

I hope the people of Taiwan, and those who sympathise with Taiwan, can appreciate that recognising the One China Policy is not the same as endorsing violent reunification.

No neighbour - Malaysia included - wants war across the Taiwan Strait. We have too much to lose: trade, stability, and the lives of ordinary people.

One must read Anwar’s speech within the dynamics of current geopolitical turmoil. Anwar was not projecting ill wishes toward Taiwanese citizens. Nor was he deliberately appeasing Beijing. He was stating reality.

The interview was broadcast by Al Jazeera, a network with a global audience deeply familiar with the hypocrisies of international power politics.

The Al Jazeera interview was never really about Taipei or Beijing. It was about Washington, London, and Brussels.

ADS

Critique is for the West

Anwar’s sharper criticism was directed at Western powers that rushed to defend the island against so-called “Chinese aggression”.

His question is this: How can you claim to accept the One China Policy while simultaneously trying to restrict China’s lawful exercise of its rights within that very framework?

Admittedly, China’s hostile posturing over Taiwan might not be the most desirable or palatable for the international community or adjacent countries. However, the same powers now lecturing China on “peaceful resolution” have, in the last two decades alone:

• Invaded Iraq on false pretences (2003), killing hundreds of thousands.

• Bombed Libya into failed-state status (2011).

• Armed and funded proxy wars in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

• Imposed crippling sanctions on Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.

• Launched an illegal war against Iran and massacred innocent civilians.

• Supported Israel’s genocide acts against Palestinians.

There are plenty of cases of violent oppression against third-world countries with impunity, disregarding international law and, in some cases, endorsing the killing of foreign leaders and civilians.

This double standard has become routine. Yet no Western power would tolerate its own territory being fragmented or encroached upon. Yet these same nations reserve the absolute right to defend their own territory - by nuclear arms if necessary.

Consistent standard, or none at all

If the West genuinely desires peace across the Taiwan Strait, let it condemn all violations of sovereignty with equal vigour - whether in Gaza, Kyiv, or Taipei.

Let it apply the same standard to itself that it demands of others. Only then can its appeals for stability carry moral weight.

The international community faces a simple choice: uphold the rule of law for everyone, or admit to the “might-is-right global order”. This means “rules bind the weak and exempt the strong”.

Recognition of the One China Policy is not hostility toward Taiwan. It is a diplomatic reality. And if we are to avoid the very conflict we all fear, that reality must be engaged with consistent ethical standards that apply to all nations equally. - Mkini

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TIAN CHUA is a former Batu MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.