During his lecture at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom on Friday (Jan 17), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said as chair of Asean in 2025, Malaysia would seek to rejuvenate key mechanisms like the Asean Plus Three and the East Asia Summit (EAS), both of which have been celebrated for their convening power but remain underutilised.
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00:00As Chair of ASEAN this year, Malaysia will seek to rejuvenate key mechanisms of development
00:30like the ASEAN Plus Three and the East Asia Summit. Both have been celebrated for their
00:36convening power but remain underutilised. The East Asia Summit is the only regional
00:44forum dedicated to strategic and security issues in our region that is led by leaders
00:52where rival powers meet in a neutral setting. Instead of getting bogged down by the disputes
00:58on major powers, we would rather work with like-minded member states and dialogue partners
01:04to seek ways on how such mechanisms can deliver on its aspirations.
01:10Secondly, Malaysia will continue its open and pragmatic approach in engaging both the
01:16United States and China, whose relations are anchored in mutual respect and shared interests.
01:24In spite of all the talk that Malaysia is pervading towards China, the fact is that
01:31the United States continues to reign supreme, cumulatively as the largest source of foreign
01:38direct investment. In Malaysia, especially in the tech sector, China on the other hand
01:46has been our largest trading partner since 2009, marking 16 years of thriving trade relations.
01:55It is as clear as day and there is no zero-sum game here. Maintaining robust ties with both
02:06the United States and China is not merely a matter of economic pragmatism but a strategic
02:12imperative to safeguard our national interests in an increasing volatile world.
02:19This is what we mean by cultivating engagement with both to ensure the region's diversified
02:30economic base, reduced interdependence and a strengthened position as a resilient, open
02:37and competitive economy. Thirdly, Malaysia will ensure that its position
02:43as a centre of competitive trade, finance and tech can withstand the changes around
02:49us. So our collaboration with the UK, from the early days of independence and as Malaysia
02:57developed as a nation, was not without its speed bumps. I hope that we continue to build
03:11the foundation, allowing neither external forces nor the inevitable differences of views
03:19to pull us away from the larger goal drawn from our bedrock of commonalities, a peaceful
03:26stable and prosperous global order built on the edifice of multilateral cooperation
03:34and equity.