Malaysian PM lauds China’s Xi as Global South’s ‘voice’ day after Trump’s win

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a new voice for the Global South” during their meeting on Thursday in Beijing, a day after “America First” candidate Donald Trump won the U.S. election.

Xi reciprocated saying his country and Malaysia were good friends and partners that must "jointly oppose protectionism" and uphold international fairness, although he did not mention Trump or his professed plan to tax almost all imports by 10-20%, but Chinese ones 60%.

Anwar met Xi on the last day of his four-day working visit to China -- his third trip to the Asian superpower since being named PM in 2022. The Malaysian PM attended the China International Import Expo trade fair in Shanghai during the first three days of the visit.

In his opening remarks on the visit to meet Xi, Anwar commended the Chinese president for emphasizing “values and civilization” and his “passion for the people, the poor, and humanity.”

“More importantly, your vision for global security and development resonates deeply with us,” Anwar said to Xi.

“This is why we view China not just as a leader of the East but as a voice for the Global South, one that champions the interests of the developing world.”

Still, Anwar also said that Malaysia would stick to its “strategic independence, and is willing to maintain close multilateral coordination with China to help safeguard regional peace, stability, development and prosperity,” reported China’s state news agency Xinhua.

For his part, Xi said China and Malaysia should “firmly support each other, jointly oppose protectionism,  … [and]  advocate [for] an equal and orderly multipolar world,” Xinhua reported.

The Chinese president further said his country and Malaysia must ensure “inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, push for the reform and improvement of the global governance system, and uphold international fairness, justice and the common interests of developing countries.”

Xi said China supported Malaysia’s rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, as well as the regional bloc’s centrality and independence.

Referring to Anwar’s comment about Malaysia retaining its “strategic independence,” Xi said China supports the Southeast Asian nation in upholding that autonomy and “choosing a development path suited to its national conditions.”

This remark came some 15 months after the European Union and the U.S. warned Malaysia of the risk to its national security if it chose the Washington-blacklisted Chinese firm Huawei Technologies to set up its second 5G network. Malaysia back then responded brusquely, saying it would do what was best for Malaysia.

Similarly, during a speech at Peking University earlier on Thursday, Anwar outlined a vision for a Southeast Asia that interacts constructively with global powers “while maintaining independence and promoting regional stability.” 

'Bridge between East Asia, Southeast Asia Asia, Middle East'

Meanwhile, at the trade fair in Shanghai earlier this week, Anwar invited Xi to join a summit next year between ASEAN and Arab nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“As ASEAN chair next year, Malaysia aims to enhance regional cooperation and [an] inclusive, rules-based regional framework,” the Malaysian PM said Tuesday.

“By linking China, ASEAN, and the GCC, we can build a bridge between East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, enabling deeper economic, cultural, and strategic ties.”

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, all oil-rich countries with substantial investments in Southeast Asia. 

For Malaysia, the potential benefits of the trilateral forum go beyond economic gains, Lee Pei May, an assistant professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told BenarNews. 

“This is the first attempt to build a bridge between East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, allowing for discussions on critical issues like regional stability and Middle Eastern conflicts.”

And although Anwar’s invitation to Xi was made before Trump’s win was announced, the Malaysian PM seemed to have been prescient about how he believed Southeast Asian nations could reduce the impact of the U.S. president-elect's professed trade protectionism.

That is, Anwar believes these developing nations need to build new economic partnerships in and outside the broader Southeast Asian neighborhood.

Anwar’s participation in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai was intended to expand such partnerships. At the trade fair he had meetings with Chinese officials, investors, and over 23 industry “captains” from advanced technology and manufacturing sectors.

While the Malaysian government didn't immediately release the details of these meetings with Chinese officials, one Kuala Lumpur think-tank told BenarNews that Anwar discussed expanding cooperation in digital economy initiatives, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.

Such an expansion, the think-tank's director, Benedict Weerasena, told BenarNews signaled a bid by Anwar to take Malaysia-China relations “to the next level."

As it is, Anwar on Thursday publicly said to Xi that China’s support for Malaysia to become a BRICS partner had been “invaluable.” 

Malaysia in July applied to, and in October became, a partner of BRICS, which is an economic bloc that includes Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa.

Malaysia’s BRICS membership

For some observers, this partnership only solidifies their perception that Malaysia under Anwar is drawing closer to Beijing. But Anwar has refuted that claim, saying he was doing what would economically benefit his country.

BRICS is viewed by some as anti-West, because it is a forum to provide Asian nations with alternative partnerships to help reduce their reliance on Western institutions or markets.

That means Anwar would have to carefully maneuver diplomatically, because Malaysia-U.S. ties are already a bit fraught, analysts noted. The two countries' ties are strained because Malaysia strongly supports nationhood for Palestine and  an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while the U.S. is a firm Israel ally.

The anticipated worsening of U.S.-China ties under Trump – like during his first presidency from 2017 to 2021 – may complicate Malaysia’s position if the U.S. president-elect feels slighted, regional analysts noted.

Chong Ja Ian, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore, told BenarNews that the upcoming second Trump administration may adopt a more transactional and punitive approach. 

“The risk is if the next ...[U.S.] administration sees this as Malaysia siding with China ... it may line Malaysia up for additional punishment,” the professor said.

“Anwar says he won’t tolerate unilateral decisions, but it’s an open question how he intends to rebuff, say, a blanket tariff imposed by the United States on Malaysian imports.”